The Blub Colony
04-10-2008, 00:10
Government
The government of the Empire is an Imperial Monarchy ruled over by the current Emperor David Tiggs. The Empire is divided into districts administered to by governers who have a maximum rulership of five years. To avoid corruption, Governers are issued a base pay rate which will go up or down depending on the amount of surplus the district produces. Upon leaving the position of Governer, they may not reenter the government in any position nor be employed by a government agency or business.
Capital City
In the heartlands of the Empire stands the city of Ostwind. The city began as a mighty fortress meant soley for military purposes. However, during the Daemon Invasion into the Empire of the First Era and the Empire's original capital was sacked and destroyed, Emperor Sean Marx relocated his base of operations to Ostwind. For decades it remained only a strongpoint from which the Empire was governered and rebuilt. But slowly the surrounding lands became more and more populated, and a city sprang up.
In centuries since, the Emperors have remembered the purpose of Ostwind and its massive walls remain tended to and in good repair. The original fortress still stands, surrounded by rings of walls like the rings of a tree, marking the city's growth.
Currency and Trade
The primary form of currency is gold, silver, copper and brass coins. Taxes are at a flat rate of 5% upon purchases over 1 silver in total cost. Typically, a loaf of bread in a rural village will cost about 1 silver and with taxes, 1 silver and half a brass coin.
Individual income on average is 4 gold per month and average household income is 7.
The Empire is situated upon well-irrigated and sensibly tended to lands which produce a large surplus of grains, vegetables and other crops. One of the advantages the Empire has is its access to the rivers, easily allowing for major trade to and from the Gulf of Tobias.
The hills and mountains to the north mean that metals and ores are in good supply, which can be traded for with the mountain folk in the form of food, fish, wild game and manufactured products.
The Empire has a trade surplus due to its manufacturing. Bringing in raw goods from the surrounding lands and turning them into all types of products, it has made the Empire secure and has brought in many new technologies and ideas.
The Military
The Empire maintains a standing, professional army and navy.
Regulars
The army regulars are common men and women who voluntarily sign on to fight for the Empire. They serve as both defense and as a work force. When not campaigning, the army is often used to service the roads and highways, build bridges and perform other useful tasks.
Man-at-arms
The average soldier is a footsoldier equipped with a chain shirt over studded leather armor, sturdy boots with additional shinguards and an iron helmet. They carry a large shield, spear, fighting sword and a pair of javelins.
In battle, the front two rows of Men-at-arms will form a shield wall, while the third and forth rows fight over the shoulders of the front rows with spears. As the enemy closes in on the shield wall, the infantry will often batter them with a volley of javelins to smash up the offensive. One of the key strengths of the Empire fighting formation is its sturdy ability to maintain an unbroken line, enabling the well-trained Men-at-arms to engage enemies with their swords.
Archers and Crossbowmen
The Empire fields two types of bowmen, equally divided between longbows and crossbows. The longer range and heavier punch of the crossbows gives an army a splended first strike capability, targetting officers and armored foes at long range.
The longbows faster rate of fire means that more lightly armored formations can be broken up at mid range, punching gaps that can be exploited and causing casulties before the two sides meet.
All bowmen are equipped with studded leather body armor, a helmet and a backup sword.
Handgunners
Handgunners are lightly armored soldiers who help to serve as skirmishers and fast reaction forces. They are equipped with black powder handguns, which although inaccurate, when fired in mass can cause heavy damage at mid and short ranges.
They wear studded leather armor, a helmet and carry a slender fighting sword.
Greatsworders
Elite shock troops, the Greatsworders are armed with two-handed swords and typically serve as the bodyguard to officers and commanders on the battlefield. They wear breastplates, shinguards and gauntlets over light chainmail and a steel helmet.
Cavalry
Cavalry in the Empire is pretty basic. Experienced men volunteer and then are selected to ride horses into battle. Horses wear studded leather drapes for protection, and the men of the cavalry are armed with long lancing spears, handguns and curved cavalry sabres. They wear chainmail for protection, and are comfortable with fighting on foot, as they were originally foot troops to begin with.
Cannons
The Empire uses several types of cannons, as they are ever-working on developing new cannon technology. Some are short ranged, larger caliber guns, while others are longer ranged, smaller caliber guns. The Empire has recently began deployment of organ guns, but their instability has kept them from being used extensively.
Ships
The Navy consists primarily of shallow-hulled skiffs designed for speed and manuverability on the rivers. The skiffs typically have a crew of about 20 soldiers, and are in charge of keeping the rivers clear of pirates.
The Empire has a number of larger river ships, more similar to barges for carrying cargo and troops when needed.
A small number of frigates are maintained in the Gulf of Tobias, fighting warships which spend most of their time moored as the Empire has no enemies in the Gulf.
The government of the Empire is an Imperial Monarchy ruled over by the current Emperor David Tiggs. The Empire is divided into districts administered to by governers who have a maximum rulership of five years. To avoid corruption, Governers are issued a base pay rate which will go up or down depending on the amount of surplus the district produces. Upon leaving the position of Governer, they may not reenter the government in any position nor be employed by a government agency or business.
Capital City
In the heartlands of the Empire stands the city of Ostwind. The city began as a mighty fortress meant soley for military purposes. However, during the Daemon Invasion into the Empire of the First Era and the Empire's original capital was sacked and destroyed, Emperor Sean Marx relocated his base of operations to Ostwind. For decades it remained only a strongpoint from which the Empire was governered and rebuilt. But slowly the surrounding lands became more and more populated, and a city sprang up.
In centuries since, the Emperors have remembered the purpose of Ostwind and its massive walls remain tended to and in good repair. The original fortress still stands, surrounded by rings of walls like the rings of a tree, marking the city's growth.
Currency and Trade
The primary form of currency is gold, silver, copper and brass coins. Taxes are at a flat rate of 5% upon purchases over 1 silver in total cost. Typically, a loaf of bread in a rural village will cost about 1 silver and with taxes, 1 silver and half a brass coin.
Individual income on average is 4 gold per month and average household income is 7.
The Empire is situated upon well-irrigated and sensibly tended to lands which produce a large surplus of grains, vegetables and other crops. One of the advantages the Empire has is its access to the rivers, easily allowing for major trade to and from the Gulf of Tobias.
The hills and mountains to the north mean that metals and ores are in good supply, which can be traded for with the mountain folk in the form of food, fish, wild game and manufactured products.
The Empire has a trade surplus due to its manufacturing. Bringing in raw goods from the surrounding lands and turning them into all types of products, it has made the Empire secure and has brought in many new technologies and ideas.
The Military
The Empire maintains a standing, professional army and navy.
Regulars
The army regulars are common men and women who voluntarily sign on to fight for the Empire. They serve as both defense and as a work force. When not campaigning, the army is often used to service the roads and highways, build bridges and perform other useful tasks.
Man-at-arms
The average soldier is a footsoldier equipped with a chain shirt over studded leather armor, sturdy boots with additional shinguards and an iron helmet. They carry a large shield, spear, fighting sword and a pair of javelins.
In battle, the front two rows of Men-at-arms will form a shield wall, while the third and forth rows fight over the shoulders of the front rows with spears. As the enemy closes in on the shield wall, the infantry will often batter them with a volley of javelins to smash up the offensive. One of the key strengths of the Empire fighting formation is its sturdy ability to maintain an unbroken line, enabling the well-trained Men-at-arms to engage enemies with their swords.
Archers and Crossbowmen
The Empire fields two types of bowmen, equally divided between longbows and crossbows. The longer range and heavier punch of the crossbows gives an army a splended first strike capability, targetting officers and armored foes at long range.
The longbows faster rate of fire means that more lightly armored formations can be broken up at mid range, punching gaps that can be exploited and causing casulties before the two sides meet.
All bowmen are equipped with studded leather body armor, a helmet and a backup sword.
Handgunners
Handgunners are lightly armored soldiers who help to serve as skirmishers and fast reaction forces. They are equipped with black powder handguns, which although inaccurate, when fired in mass can cause heavy damage at mid and short ranges.
They wear studded leather armor, a helmet and carry a slender fighting sword.
Greatsworders
Elite shock troops, the Greatsworders are armed with two-handed swords and typically serve as the bodyguard to officers and commanders on the battlefield. They wear breastplates, shinguards and gauntlets over light chainmail and a steel helmet.
Cavalry
Cavalry in the Empire is pretty basic. Experienced men volunteer and then are selected to ride horses into battle. Horses wear studded leather drapes for protection, and the men of the cavalry are armed with long lancing spears, handguns and curved cavalry sabres. They wear chainmail for protection, and are comfortable with fighting on foot, as they were originally foot troops to begin with.
Cannons
The Empire uses several types of cannons, as they are ever-working on developing new cannon technology. Some are short ranged, larger caliber guns, while others are longer ranged, smaller caliber guns. The Empire has recently began deployment of organ guns, but their instability has kept them from being used extensively.
Ships
The Navy consists primarily of shallow-hulled skiffs designed for speed and manuverability on the rivers. The skiffs typically have a crew of about 20 soldiers, and are in charge of keeping the rivers clear of pirates.
The Empire has a number of larger river ships, more similar to barges for carrying cargo and troops when needed.
A small number of frigates are maintained in the Gulf of Tobias, fighting warships which spend most of their time moored as the Empire has no enemies in the Gulf.