Sang-Lothor Imperium

The Sang-Lothor Imperium, or Sang-Lothor as it is generally referred to as, is an empire in Southern Aigora, mostly encompassing the Spinelands, as well as additional territories it has expanded to. The empire is one of the oldest extant civilizations on Aigora, and has stood strong for hundreds of years, but only until recently has it begun rapidly developing and exerting its' influence on other territories. Shortly after the Havenwars, the last 10 years have been the most active years in terms of culture, territorial expansion, and technological advancements, thus creating an explosion in its population and wealth.

Government & Politics
The Sang-Lothor Imperium is an absolute monarchy "led" by "Emperor Lothor Prime Lothlorian", who is said to be over 200 years old, coining the title of 'the Timeless Lion', and more recently 'the Shadow Emperor'. Emperor Lothor has led the Imperium through its most productive centuries. The capital of the Imperium is Arx Angoth, the Bastion of the Time Lion, which is located in the center of the Spinelands.

There are many cryptic tales of the Imperium's current technical prowess, and many speak about a groundbreaking discovery that Emperor Lothor has made that has allowed the empire to propel itself forward many years in terms of invention, culture, and military prowess.

 

His absence from public image in the past 100 years has been rife with controversy and speculation. Tales of his image include, a giant lion, an Ouranoú, a serpent dragon, among others. The people of the Imperium, for the most part, are content with living their everyday lives uninterested in the political affairs of the Emperor and the Golden Council, so long as they remain living in modest comfort.

 

The Five Noble Houses
There are around a hundred noble houses in Sang-Lothor, but the most important five controlling the different regions of the Spinelands have the most political and resilient influence in the Imperium; they all answer to the Emperor and the Golden Council, however some members of said houses sit on the Council.

House Lothlorian
Leader: Xervisian Lothlorian, Ouran of Aera. Sigil: the golden manticore House seat: Arx Aerfuxia, in the northwestern hill regions of Aera. Notable for: preservation of the environment, and their powerful armies.

House Wookung
Leader: Tungst Wookung, the Ape of the West. Sigil: a wooden staff covered in greenery. House seat: Arx Xhungoth, residing in the southwestern jungle region of Xhungoth. Notable for: Supplying the Imperium's weaponry and being 'Wardens of the Ancient Egg'

House Zeo
Leader: Aphrodita Zeo, daughter of the now deceased Violet Duchess, Athenia Zeo. Sigil: a purple silken scroll inside a golden, painted urn. House seat:  Arx Zeo, floating fortress in the southeastern Zeonese Desert region. Notable for: Technological and magical advancements.

House Flaxallus
Leader: Juan Flaxallus, the Golden Voice. Sigil: A spear glistening in the coastal sun. House seat: Arx Flutallum, jewel of the northern region of Flutallum. Notable for: Producing food for the Imperium, supplying the Imperium with entertainment with blood sport.

House Blannis
Leader: Danimus Blannis. Sigil: the silver cross. House seat: Blannishold, secluded keep in the eastern Juth mountains. Notable for: the Blannis Curse, freedom of religious and spiritual beliefs, and abstaining from the slave-trade.

House Kimbusa
House seat: Lao Kimbusa. Notable for: Entertainment districts in the city of Lao Kimbusa.

House Grasshen
House seat: City of Grass, Triumph Rock. Notable for: Producing rice for the Imperium, supplying the Imperium with imported goods from Havenland.

House Shen Pu
House seat: '''Little Bronze. Notable for: A long and proud heritage of brilliant strategists and soldiers.

House Lóng
Leader: Hun Lóng, Son of now deceased Huang Lóng, then Steward of Blannis, '''House seat: Lóng Spiral Tower. Notable for: Having a tall tower.

House Gall
House seat: Empfin, Wine'baggo. Notable for: Crafting artisan goods, having a house member be part of the Imperial royal guard.

House Coasta
Leader: Generalis Riocard Coasta. House seat: '''Villa De Coasta. Notable for:''' Stunning vistas and resorts.

The Golden Council
The Golden Council of Sang-Lothor resides in Arx Angoth, in the Bastion of the Time Lion. The Council consists of 10 councilmen and councilwomen: prominent bureaucrats, mages, scholars, nobles, and merchants. They advise the Nunc-Manus, direct hand of the emperor, and the prince of the Imperium, Xervisian Lothlorian, Ouran of Aera. (Duke of Aera in the Lothlorian language).

The people who serve on the Golden Council are as follows:

Athenia Zeo †, 63 y/o, The Violet Duchess, Noblewoman of the Zeo clan, Head of House Zeo.

Generalis Shen Pu (Arrested), 32 y/o, Former General of the Imperial North Army & Scholar

Verde of the Coast, 42 y/o, Mage of the Horned Citadel

Mars Julian Manibus, 75 y/o, General Engineer of the Imperium Heavenly Fleet

Glaphrodite Justinia, 128 y/o, Scroll Mistress of the Golden Tapestries

Entei the Contained †, age unknown, The Trapped Flame, Former Loyal Servant of the Lion

Kalkstein Grimsbane †, 26 y/o, Demon Raven, Former Spymaster of the Imperium

Juan Flaxallus, 45 y/o, Golden Voice,  Policymaker

Xervisian Lothlorian, 18 y/o, Ouran of Aera, First Prince of the Imperium & his royal advisor, Khallis

Blushidia Lothlorian, 24 y/o, Master of Coin, First Princess of the Imperium

The Golden Council convene every day for around two hours of talk time. Each Council member brings up topics and the sessions are adjourned after every present member finalizes their discussions.

       

Religion
Sang-Lothlorians are religiously and spiritually secular and have been for the last 100 years. Worship of deities and foreign entities is strictly forbidden and any evidence of such is swiftly sought after and dealt with by the Faithless, a dogmatic organization that enforces the adherence towards secularism.

The reasons for this secularity are unclear, but there are prevailing theories as to why; for one, it is possible that the potential influence of Gods in the Imperium is feared by those in power, so to avoid any divine interventions, they outlaw worship. Another theory is that the Emperor should be viewed as a monotheistic deity by the masses, and by outlawing the worship of other idols and gods, it facilitates this endeavor.

Education & Economics
In schools and academies, citizens are introduced to reasoning, logic, and economics at a young age. Due to this Sang-Lothlorians are well educated and live relatively luxurious lives compared to, for the most part, anywhere else on Aigora. Despite this, there is massive wealth inequality in the Imperium.

The official currency of the Imperium is the Sangor, a golden coin shaped like a star. Gold is also accepted in the Imperium, as it is the reserve currency.

The average Sang-Lothlorian generates a wage of about the equivalent of 200GP per year in Sangors, and most live-in large cities, such as Arx Angoth, Arx Flutallum, Arx Aerfuxia, Arx Zeo, and Arx Xhungoth. People that live outside the cities are usually either farmers, slavers, or outcasts shunned by the city’s complex sociological and political societies.

Merchants, ‘Golden-Spirits’, as they are referred to, freely roam the Imperium with special insignias and decrees, allowing them to trade with every member of the Imperium, and so many Lothorians value merchants and commerce as the vital lifeblood of the country’s economy.

Slavery
The Imperium has a sizeable slave population in the Arx Flutallum, the capital Arx Angoth, and the outskirts of other cities. Most slaves are owned by members of noble houses, in which they 'singe' the Houses' insignia to the slaves' bodies for identification. The slave populations of the Imperium consist of Tieflings, Dragonkin, Goblins, and other 'monstrous races'. Most commoners interact with slaves on a daily basis, but remain silent of the practice.

Spinelands
Most of the empire is situated in the western peninsula of Havenland, throughout the Spinelands, but they have expanded significantly over their history. The Spinelands, despite their name, has a diverse geography; It is diverse with snow-capped mountains, deep river valleys, broad basins, high plateaus, rolling plains, terraced hills, sandy dunes with many other geographic features and other landforms present in myriad variations.

Flutallum
In the north of the Spinelands, lies the fertile region of Flutallum, where most of the food of Sang-Lothor is grown. Rolling hills, fertile farmland, and rice paddies populate the region. The regional seat of power in Flutallum is Arx Flutallum.

Saja Valley
In the center of the Spinelands, nestled between the Iliuth Mountains to the west and the central Juth Mountains to the east, is the Saja Valley. The terrain is rugged, drastic, beautiful, and otherworldly. The slopes leading down to the valley are significantly steep, in certain areas, almost sheer drops into the valley; the capital city of Sang-Lothor, Arx Angoth resides here.

Xhungoth
To the northwest of the Spinelands, reside the Great Jungles of Xhungoth. The territory is dangerous and wild and there are few settlements as large as the regional capital city of Arx Xhungoth. Xhungoth is the least populated region of Sang-Lothor.

Zeonese Desert
The south of the Spinelands, past the central Juth Mountains, the vast expanses of the Zeonese Desert extend to the south coast of the continent. The land is arid with pockets of civilization spread about through nomadic merchant trading routes. The coastline of the Zeonese Desert is cooler and has subtropical beaches, most of the permanent civilizations in the south run parallels with the coastline of the Zeonese Desert. The regional capital of the Zeonese Desert region is Arx Zeo, a floating fortress owned by House Zeo that roams above Zeonese Desert, providing refuge from the blistering heat and aridness.

Eastern Juth Mountains
To the east of the Spinelands are the Eastern Juth Mountains, the largest and longest chain of mountains on the continent. In the mountains, the regional capital is situated, the mountain keep of Blannishold, owned by House Blannis. To the south of the Eastern Juth Mountains is the expansive plains and city of Shunglox, one of the only cities of the Imperium where worship of deities is condoned.

Early Sang-Lothor
Accounts of early Sang-Lothor date back to even before the Year 1 of Talamh Old, where history is cryptic and void. Beginning in Year 10 TO, written history of Sang-Lothor begins to appear in the form of magically scribed scriptures on stone tablets, where they speak about the First Emperor of Sang-Lothor, Eetion Prime. Eetion was an individual, according to historians, that was at one point a man, and a woman. Eetion's early empire consisted of the early settlements of Angoth, Flutallum, Losa'Rune, and civilizations on the "moons": Iliuth and Juth. Eetion was regarded as a pure blood Aigali, the first of Goo'Gaal's people to roam Aigora. As they formed the early empire with, what the scriptures describe as, "Cosmic Arcana".