The Empire of Kronzreg

Map of Kronzreg.

Legend:

Five-pointed star: capitol

Four-pointed star: smaller cities (local power center)

X: abandoned cities

Dotted red line: current Kronzregi border

Dotted purple line: former Kronzregi border

Grey line: River

Brown line: Imperial road network

Pentagon: Neighboring non-Kronzregi cities

The Empire of Kronzreg is the eldest of human states in this world. Formerly, it occupied a large swath of territory in the south-eastern corner of the western continent, but currently the empire is in a state of long decline.

Etymology

The name Kronzreg derives from the first line of emperors, the Domon Pallies Kronsregas, which they themselves took on as the rulers of all the southern human settlements after a short and bloody unifiaction war some six thousand years ago. Kron means crown and Reg means to rule, so the full name, Vasileas Kronzregas thus means the empire of the ruling crown.

The Emperor or Vasilios of Kronzreg is considered the highest rank any human can attain in the social hierarchy of all races.

Races

The population of Kronzreg is mostly homogenous and consists of humans. Kronzregi high lords take offense when their kind is compared to the elder races, thinking the actions of their predecessors are proof enough to be considered equal. The lesser races are not allowed within Kronzreg, any connection with them is made through the free cities to the north.

State and Society

Kronzreg is bordered by the Sea of Óden to the East, and the Sea of Kronzreg to the south. It shares its northern border with Nolisé and the Deepwood Elven Kingdom. To the west, across the Inner Sea Landstrip, its western neighbor is the Southern Orcrealm, now that the orcs have driven the aboriginal nomadic human populace and former Kronzregi settlements out of that area.

Once its capitol, the great city of Düpios was a hub of high magic and great culture, but the golden age is long past. With it waned the power of the once well-organized Legions of Kronzreg: the empire relies on mercenary captains more and more to keep the enemies that surround its territories at bay. Still, its great galleys roam the seas in search of prey, ready to deter any attack by the Sand Warrior pirates or those of Ódensbarad, their sworn enemies.

Compared to other human kingdoms, Kronzreg still maintains a well-organised bureaucratic body and postal service, and the Imperial road network is very well kept.

Kronzregi society is organized into the Circle of Nobles, Circle of Citizens and Circle of Lesser Peoples. The Circle of Nobles is further divided to the Imperial Court, the Düpios Court and the Outlander or Periistras Court.

Kronzreg ruled much of what is now the southern border of the Deepwood, but the settlements there were abandoned after continual harassment by the Elves, and the great trees took over during the centuries since. 

Similarly, Nolisé was once a Kronzregi town and Letren a vassal, paying homage to the Emperor directly, but these city states became independent, and, after many attempts to take them back by ambitious generals of the Empire, even fiercer enemies of the Ruling Crown than those dwelling in the Deepwood.

The Empire's western border is under continuous siege by the Southern Orcs, a host of brute warrior people whom only view glory in battle and spoils from the defeated as satisfactory to their kind. Thus many large cities were given up to the onslaught, stopping it at the fortified strip of land between the Inner Sea and the Bay of Bantas. Will the Legions posted there hold? Only time will be able to tell.