 | |
|---|---|
| Political and cultural details | |
| Languages |
Arslan; Aquilan standard |
| Religion |
Astrorecidivism; Ertdor folk religions; Imperial cult |
| Demonym |
Kazimiri; Imperial |
| Government |
Unitary theocracy under parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Leader |
Erdogan |
| Currency |
Emerald |
| Allies |
Eternal Empire of Khotan |
The Kazimir Empire, officially the Northern Provinces of the Grand Imperial Sovereignty, is a sovereign nation in central Ertdor. A moderately sized but stable and wealthy country, the Kazimir Empire has existed in various forms since the 3800s when the first Sultan Kazimir united the central Arslan-speaking tribes of Arslan into the Sufjani Caliphate which evolved into the Kazimir Empire of today. It is so-named the "Northern Provinces" by the state due to its historical claims over all of central and southern Ertdor, which puts it at odds with the hostile Sin-eater government in Magheim. Its total population is estimated at well over 6 million.
Presiding over 90% over Ertdor’s fertile land with access to the Thel Sea and the Ciracan Ocean, the Empire occupies an extremely sought-over swath of land, and the strategic location of its government in the prosperous city of Sufjan - the shimmering oasis amidst the desiccation of central Ertdor - allows the Sultanate to negotiate for increasingly beneficial trade agreements with rival nations. In the post-Aether period, Kazimir’s wealth increased tenfold due to its control over the largest of the world’s precious few proven Codanium mines, allowing the Sultan to control virtually all of Aquila’s access to the priceless material which has revolutionized war and industry. Recently, their exports of foodstuffs, diamonds, and Codanium-enriched weapons to both sides during the War of the Sunflower has elevated the nation to among the most wealthy and developed societies in the world despite their desolate geographical position.
Presently, Sultan Erdogan the Prescient rules over the Kazimir Empire with a fair hand, holding de-jure absolute power as the spiritual leader of the nation but delegating most matters of state to the Grand Imperial Parliament, guiding them with his wisdom in matters of crisis. Otherwise, Erdogan leads the Imperial Cult which acts as the de-facto inquisition of the state, and is recognized as the global leader of the Astrorecidivist religion centered around the supreme cosmological deity known as Zodiark - the “Shepherd of the Stars.” While their astrological practices are often compared to the Old Ways, followers of the religion distinguish themselves from similar astrologians and mages; they have been locked in a state of cold war with the fanatical Sin-eater assassins in Magheim for centuries, whose radical Herobrinist doctrine makes them fitting nemeses for the orthodox church of Astrorecidivism. Some more moderate adherents of the faith take a more sympathetic view of the celestials, viewing Notch, Herobrine, and their ancestors as prophets of Zodiark’s eventual return. They viewed the defeat of the Ancient Fear in the Aether War as a sign of their supreme god’s imminent return from the stars.
With a population of just over 6 million, the proud Empire also boasts a rapidly growing military, the Sublime Army of Light. Their devout religious zealotry and disciplined hierarchy developed as a result of military advisement by the Templar Order during the Kilran War, in which the Sultanate joined the forces of Notch to repel the Herobrinist heretics to the south. The average soldier of the Sublime is equipped with moderately enchanted iron armor, setting them above the standard infantry of rival Nova Aquila; their horse-mounted shocktroops are even more intimidating, sporting diamond armor, redstone crossbows, and, rarely, Codanium-enriched blades.
As of 4851, Kazimir is in a state of uneasy but prosperous peace, with their coffers growing exponentially but the threat of war with the heretical Magheim ever looming on the horizon. They have made close allies with the Eternal Empire of Khotan in the wake of their recent change of regime, signaling economic and perhaps military hostility towards Nova Aquila in the near future.
The Empire depicted in purple, with hostile Magheim in black.