Location/Boundaries: On the Islands (both the nearer Vanguard Islands and the outer Imperial Home Islands) to the west of the southern continent and on the mainland of the southern continent to the West of the Kurous mountains and the unexplored plateau. The area around the Kurous pass is currently disputed with the Achaeans. The Empire also has colonies on the west coast of the northern plains. These have been established within the past twenty-five years and are still somewhat small. They will probably stay that way as potentially hostile plainsmen and the extremely tough sod of the inland high plains have made expanding beyond the coastal lowlands unprofitable.

Government: A monarchy, somewhat more absolutist than the Kingdom, certainly more so than Gallacia. Nobles have personal powers and some unalienable rights but all major appointments to public office are made by the Emperor. The Emperor theoretically has the right to the final say in any legal matter, but there is a Senate of pater familii who also wield considerable power should they be albo to unite against the Emperor

Laws/Legal System: Old Empire laws form the basis for all law codes in the Kingdom, Marches, Achaea, and to a lesser extent Gallacia. They were established over a thousand years ago. In the Empire itself they have been the least changed from their original state. They are, however, very convoluted with numerous annotations, revisions, clarifications, etc. The Emperor is currently sponsoring a process to gather all the laws into one place, eliminate those that are obsolete or redundant, and in general make the whole system practical. Until then, lawyers will be highly valued and well paid in the Empire. Accused persons are considered guilty until they prove themselves innocent. Punishments include slavery, exile, loss of titles and patrons, confiscation of possessions and lands, death, or imprisonment. Nobles appointed by the king form the upper level of the judicial system with their deputies serving beneath them. Only nobility are allowed a jury trial.

Social Classes/Status: There are fewer ranks of nobility in the Empire than in the Kingdom, as they never suffered quite such a loss of central authority during the 'dark ages.' Titles are inherited and either men or women can inherit, though men are preferred. There is a fairly hard line between the Upper and Lower nobility, and an even firmer one between the nobility and the newer merchant class. What social mobility there is comes through marriage alliances, doing service for the Emperor and being rewarded by him, or through client/patron relationships. These arrangements are what makes the Empire go around. They facilitate commerce, are an avenue to gain political support, and are the bonds of loyalty that serve the Empire instead of Feudalism.

Cities/People: Empire cities vary widely. Some parts of the capital and Palace complex on the islands are very old. The same is true for some noble estates. In other places, especially the colonies, cities are newer and were consciously designed from the start like the Achaean cities. Population on the islands is more of the old blood. On the mainland, colonists may have been interbreeding with locals for centuries. It is rumored that the distinctive "Western Bloodline" that runs throughout the nobility of Empire and Kingdom nobles is the product of eugenics practiced ages ago in the Old Empire. These distinctive traits are most prominent in Island nobles and the extended royal family. Centuries of mild inbreeding has led to some problems in the Empire, as noblewomen tend to bear children who are at one extreme of physical health or the other. Unfortunately, more children (especially males) are at the sickly end of the scale and healthy heirs are prized. Fertility among both men and women is low as well.

Military: There is both a standing army and navy. These forces are funded through taxation and donations of land, food, housing, etc. by those who have such resources. They are generally well trained and supplied. During a time of crisis each landed family would be required to supply a certain number of troops, though this is seldom necessary. Island dwelling nobles often have a small personal bodyguard, but a large house militia such as may be found on the mainland colonies would be unacceptable. There are special military units trained to use and deal with magick, work with demons, etc. Musketeers have recently been placed on some naval vessels.

Education: None mandatory. There are no public schools. There are tutors who teach children in small classes or privately, and most parents of the merchant class as well as the nobility rely on them for the education of their children. Education is considered crucial for the ambitious young man of the upper or middle classes, and women of the nobility are almost always educated though those of the merchant class may well not be. A noble's education includes languages, mathematics, history, the social graces and skill at leisure-time activities such as hawking, hunting, or music.

Technology: About on par with Achaea. They have less modernization but the preservation of old (sometimes magickal) building, manufacturing, and sailing techniques give them an edge. Devices like the printing press, accurate clocks, new firearms, and more have been brought from the mainland and are now used and often made in the Empire.

Production & Industry: The Empire's islands are mountainous with limited crop potential. The odd climate of the islands frequent fogs at high altitudes, plenty of rainfall and a year round temperate climate make possible the cultivation of many exotic crops including tea and coffee, rare herbs, flowers used in the manufacture of perfume, trees highly valued for ornamental furniture, and the like. The southern mainland produces warm weather crops such as cotton, tobacco, and some grains. The newer northern colonies raise livestock and planting winter wheat during their shorter growing season, thus reducing the Empire's reliance on food from the Kingdom or Gallacia.

Foreign Relations: The Empire has poor relations with Achaea and is at war with two of the cities. They do business with the pirates of the Steel Coast in an attempt to damage the Achaean navy and economy. They are maintain cordial terms with Gallacia despite her distance from them. They get along fairly well with the Kingdom, trading despite the Church's dislike for the Empire's open atheism. They also trade a lot with the Marches and it is rumored that they quietly supported the Barons in their war of independence from the Kingdom. They are influencing the Plains Tribes nearest their colonies, trading with them and attempting to instill in them a sense of reliance upon and loyalty to the Empire.

Religion: None. Empire citizens acknowledge the existence of the Powers but consider them to have come into being through natural not supernatural processes. They do not believe them to be divine and do not worship them, though they often strike bargains with summoned entities or force such entities to serve them.

Magick: Yes, lots. Magick is the purview of the upper classes. The commoners think of it as dangerous and taboo. In many respects the magicks practiced in the Empire are similar to those of Achaea, but they do often deal with 'demons' as well as elementals, and they have preserved many older magicks. The Empire's arcane magicks are among some of its most well- guarded secrets. Empire mages are granted access to various "signs" that prove their status when they finish their training. Pure channelling magick is very rare in the Empire, as they to not worship either gods or demons. There are rumors of a secret magickal society within the Empire that kidnaps and trains mages for the service of the state. These rumors are used by mothers as a sort of 'bogeyman' to make their children behave. Though there is little concrete evidence of such a society, it is true that both children and adults do vanish from time to time under mysterious circumstances. Arcane magicks are more common in the Empire than anywhere else in the known world. They still retain a great deal of the "Old Knowledge" from the time before the last Cataclysm. These magicks include navigation magicks and building magicks as well as technical and other magicks. Another type of magic that gets the short of the stick is healing magic, which the Imperials see as the purvieu of the weak. It is especially avoided for "natural" ailments: illness and pregnancy; though healers are used to heal injuries aquired via accident or combat, etc.

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