JamesMartin
Sa souvraya niende misain ye
Staff member
Administrator
Inner Sanctum Nobility
♔ Champion ♔
For the roleplay Corda Imperii; Sanguis Imperii
Characters can be found here.
Thank you to @Firefly @Mikaela Corvid and @OrganicIntelligence for their contributions.
Nigh on 2000 years ago, Khrainos, God of Unity, Stability and conquest, fell in love.
The woman, Helene "Dulcis" the only daughter of the king of a small island city-state surrounded by much larger powers, was regarded by all who saw her as the fairest woman in the world. Some claimed the Goddess of Beauty herself was jealous—others than she had lain with the king and Helene was of her own divine flesh. The kings of each of the three kingdoms that surrounded them desired her and it was through her beauty she kept all three at bay, for any that assailed her father would find himself set upon by the other two and destroyed utterly, for such was her beauty that no man would compromise in his desire once his blood was raised.
But Khrainos was no mere mortal and he came to her in the night, claiming that which no mortal was worthy of. Before the year was out, she bore twins, a son and a daughter, with golden hair and golden eyes and the strength and beauty of divine parentage. Aurelius and Aurelia, the gilded children, were concealed from the world within the palace, in knowledge that if any of the kings learned their object of desire had been bedded, all would seek their revenge. For twenty years they remained, learning in turn from each of the twelve divines, for Khrainos claimed descent from all and each saw themselves in the children.
On their 21st birthday, the old king finally passed and, Aurelius, at last prepared, took up the crown. Knowing he could not defeat all three kings, he made offers in secret—to one to wed his mother, to the other to wed his sister. He made no offer to the strongest and as he had known, the man attacked recklessly with all his forces. Aurelius, his father's blade in hand and in golden armour, led his men on an assault as his secret allies revealed themselves—one, with their great fleet, destroying the navy that tried to take the strait, the other, whose soldiers were consecrated in the service of the divines, landed and joined in the fray. The enemy king, a man of immense size who all believed was the son of Nemar the War God himself, fell to Aurelius in single combat when, through a treacherous stroke, he lost the favour of his father. What foes remained cast down their arms and the lords, seeing Aurelius resplendent in the sun, knelt before him.
And so four kings became three.
A grand feast was held that night, three kings of now three kingdoms, all believed they would be bonded as family.
Yet where Aurelius had made oaths, he had made only promises that he would command his sister and mother. Yet by the law of his kingdom, such commands held no sway. Aurelia walked to the alter, swearing her vows to a king so bloated that he required the help of servants to stand—yet when he tried to kiss her, she drew her dagger and drove it deep, biting bone. As the man's sailors rose, she spoke and commanded them, as their queen, to kneel—and all obeyed. She turned and knelt to her brother.
And so three kings became two.
The other king, seeing Aurelia resplendent and commanding and finding her mother now plain in his eyes, turned and spoke fatal words "Damn my oaths, I will have the girl or I will have your head."
One of his own, on hearing this, drove a dagger into his back and with the guidance of an angry god, the blade found his heart. The men looked around and, as though driven by some religious ecstasy, knelt.
And so two kings became merely Aurelius, who rose and proclaimed his empire. An Empire to be built upon four pillars—Himself, the Grand Army of one foe, the Grand Navy of the second and the Divine bonds of the third.
He took the daughters of each of his foes as his consorts and his sister the sons, founding an Imperial dynasty that saw half a hundred children before they died, together, in their 120th year.
Over the next three hundred years, their sons conquered westwards and eastwards and northwards, breaking each kingdom that opposed the Emperor and, those who willingly knelt, marrying into the Imperial family and founding many of the Imperial Great houses.
Twelve Hundred years after the founding of the Empire, a single weak man nearly saw the end of all.
Emperor Marionos II was a man blessed with three strong sons, any of whom would have made a grand Emperor. Yet he was indecisive and uncertain. He named none co-emperor and instead, granted each governorship over large swathes of the Empire. When he died unexpectedly, each son proclaimed himself emperor and marched on the Capital. The brutal three way clash outside the walls of the capital saw two of the three fall—yet the survivor was weakened and, when rebellions began to break out across the west, his march to crush them saw his army instead destroyed, utterly.
The last light of the Empire was held by his only child, an infant daughter, Selene I, who became the first child ever to rule the Empire. Her regents pulled all forces they could back to the city and with the navy, protected the city itself from all attempts to assail it. To the South, the Numian Empress moved to secure Imperial cities that had been established on her coast, while to the east the Shanenshah of the Zourians moved to conquer the Eastern Provinces. Many believe that, had they been willing, either might have been able to assail the Imperial Capital. Yet each claimed portions of the Eastern Empire and bled themselves white in their efforts to see their claims enforced.
Serene grew and married and her son grew and married and her grandson grew and married and though the city was strong, the Empire was shattered. False kings reigned throughout West and East alike, while the loyal imperial families from across the Empire came to the capital, finding nowhere else safe.
It was her great-grandson, Belisario the Lion, who at last, began to piece the Empire back together. Coming into his reign by 25, he led his army to the East, reconquering vital lands to supply him with food and soldiers for the wars to come. Striking North east, then west, he effectively secured what is today called the Heartlands, those parts of the Empire ruled directly by the Emperor. His Navy, rebuilt, closed the great Straits to all traffic except those willing to pay brutal tolls and soon, the Imperial coffers overflowed. By the time of his death, the entire Argentia river basin, the breadbasket of the Empire, was once again kneeling and the Eastern City of Dominatia, controlling the Emperor's canal which connected the Mare Imperatoris with the Mare Aromatum and allowed sea trade with the Zourian Empire, had been reclaimed.
Belisario saw over 100 Winters and two dozen sons—but learned from his mistakes. The strongest became Emperor and his brothers went forth to conquer only in his name.
On an archipelago far the North of any Imperial territory, four peoples can be found.
Despite the Empire calling the sea that surrounded them Mare Glacies, as it was marked by when the water got so cold that a man who fell overboard would struggle to swim, the southern portions of the island were fertile and prosperous.
In the region, the first of the four peoples are the Ármenn, are interlopers from the Southeast, what the Empire called the client kingdoms. They have at various times established colonies and trade and never more than in the freedom permitted by the collapse.
To the South of the Islands, there are the Hveitmenn, a settled society who largely farm and engage in little raiding, preferring to use their valuable position to trade with the Armenn and the Imperials, for supplies which they then sell to those further North.
Spread across the Archipelago are the various clans of the Blóðmenn who, while having settled societies, have ritualized the act of raiding for slaves, materials and in particular, anything which they cannot get except at great expense. Throughout history they have raided the Armenn, the western kingdoms and the Hveitmenn, but never the Empire—not until the collapse.
Far to the North are the Sjórmenn, whose lands, largely too cold for farming, engage in fishing, animal husbandry, woodcutting and, vitally, extended journeys. These have established a successful trade link to lands in the west and are the source of certain foods, furs and materials not native to the continent.
The Empire has never had any major presence on the Islands, with one single exception. In the South East, there now stand a powerful fortress city at what the locals call Beinland, called in the High Imperial tongue Vindicta, to engage in trade and deterrence.
As the Empire collapsed, Northern raiders almost all Blóðmenn, free like never before, raided south into the former lands of the Empire, even attempting an assault upon the Imperatori itself. This assault continued for perhaps two hundred years depending how it is measured, even after Belesario began the restoration.
That was, until a particularly violent raid upon the newly established Porta Aquilo saw the taking of the sister of a sitting Empress. Eirene the Vengeful, grandaughter of Belisario, gathered the Imperial fleet and the army, sailing North.
She took vengeance.
The great city now called Vindicta was sacked by siege tactics unknown to the Northerners and every man, woman and child was killed or taken in chains. The Imperial Army then marched north, the Navy accompanying them along the coast. They exterminated anyone who they came across, frequently driving the Blóðmenn from their villages onto their ships before the fleet would appear and, hurling streams of fire, burn all who tried to sail away. The campaign lasted ten years and saw the population of the Isles halved, entire tribes all but exterminated.
Desperate to stop the slaughter, the tribes, enemies and friends alike, unified in a desperate plea for peace. Those who refused they enslaved and delivered in chains to the Empress as repayment, along with the return of her sister, a clan of her light-haired children in tow and the head of her captor hanging from her belt. There, kneeling before foreign gods, each clan, each tribe and each family swore a blood oath. Any man that touched an imperial land would be declared anathema and killed without mercy, any merchant who bore an imperial mark was sacrosanct and the Empire was permitted, as it chose, to entice men and women from any clan to abandon their tribe and join their service. This led collectively to the two orders. The Fratres Gladii, men and women alike who served as the Emperor's guard and most loyal troops and the all-female Valkyrja, women specifically chosen for their skill and fanatical loyalty to guard the Imperial Palace and in particular, the children of the Emperor. These brutal shock troops would see the reconquest of the Eastern Empire completed
Fratres Gladii
Northern warriors sworn by blood oath into Imperial service, these men and women, fighting in heavy armour and with heavy axe, sword or mace, have sworn their lives to the personal service of the Emperor. Where his army attacks, they claim the right to lead the Vanguard and when traitors are taken, they claim the right to make a public example. Their singular devotion has garnered a fearsome reputation, as when the need arises, they will kill as commanded without hesitation or mercy
Valkyrja
Born from the ranks of the Frates Galdii, this all-female force are sworn to the personal defence of the imperial family. Restricted to women so as to be able to guard imperial wives and princesses in places where men cannot, they increase their numbers by recruiting the best, most capable women who arrive from the North and by raising their own daughters to Imperial service. Never marrying and never holding any title outside the guard, they are quite insular as a rule and have developed their own dialect of mixed Imperial and Nothern tongues. While they defend the Imperial family, they do so in much the same way a cat hunts rodents and will disobey even the most direct orders of the Emperor himself if their duty compels them. More than one Emperor has been forced to do as he was told rather than have his own bodyguard carry him out.
On some occasions, women of the Imperial family have themselves sworn the oaths of Valkyrja. These women are granted special privilege and position, but are also held to the harshest of standards
Servi
In common parlance, there are millions of slaves within the bounds of the Empire. This is, when one considers Imperial law, a half-truth. Personal ownership of individuals was outlawed from the very beginning of the empire. It was believed that it allowed to much consolidation of power by the individual houses and that the Empire would be better served by allowing freedmen to work the land. While slave markets can be found in virtually every city in the empire, these slaves come from three sources—criminals sentenced for certain crimes, war captives and those who sell themselves out of desperation or poverty. These are bound to serve their owners a non-renewable term of 20 years, are protected against certain forms of abuse under the law and receive a portion of land upon their release or the payment for a guild seal for those possessing the skills to enter a trade. Children born to slaves are born free and have the same rights as all others.
There are, however, two permitted forms of ownership with a deep and rich history.
Stigmata Servi
The term for slaves owned by the Imperial family, this group of women and eunuchs are overwhelmingly prizes of war and, through use of ritual binding carried out by the priests of multiple of the twelve divines, are shaped into the perfect servants.
The rituals, involving the removal and burning of reproductive organs, both fuel the magic and ensure that those taken into service can never have any desire outside of their service. Tattooed from head to feet, with typically only the face spared and unable to be freed regardless of circumstances, these servants are only able to advance internally and many have, by doing so, become extremely prominent and respected members of imperial society. Compelled to worship the Imperial cult and promised rewards in the afterlife for service, they are altered by spells that drastically slow their aging, enhance their beauty and improve their stamina, balance and grace, while also removing certain abilities. They are constitutionally incapable of violence, falling into pained fits of nausea if they attempt to so much as crush an insect, including any action that might harm themselves. They are taught to worship any member of the Imperial family as a semi-divine entity and lying to them or disobeying their commands has been known to induce a feeling of shame so powerful they cannot function without relieving it. These vulnerabilities are somewhat offset by protections of law—which proscribe the same punishment for harming a Stigmata outside of basic discipline as for the same crime against an infant to any outside the Imperial family.
The overwhelming majority of these slaves are to be found in the palaces, manors and retinues of the Imperial family, doing everything from preparing meals (the animals are, for obvious reasons, slaughtered by others) to scribing to warming beds, a duty carried out eagerly as the highest honour and form of worship. Others are trained as everything from doctors to midwives to advisors to the Emperor himself. The slave's council, a body of twelve of those most favoured by the Emperor, oversees all others and can promote, demote, reward or punish those below them. Lacking all other forms of advancement, loyal and competenant service are the only route upwards. The Imperial family is also aware of the power these slaves hold and so will offer some of them to serve prominent Imperial Families. To have even one in their service is considered an immense honour and one that cannot be bought—only favour can earn it. This, in turn, gives House Nicolaides a group of utterly devoted agents in the councils of the high and mighty.
Sanctio Servi
A separate caste of slaves, these are owned collectively by one or more of the dozens of Priesthoods in service to the Greater or Lesser Divines. Typically, these willingly enslave themselves as a form of restitution or penance to the God or Goddess in question and can serve in ways from cleaning the Temples to working in the fields. This is considered a high calling and is taken by some criminals who would otherwise face execution, though bound by oaths that are far worse than death if broken.
Senātus
Outside of the Imperial Family, who oversee the Empire itself, the overwhelming majority of governing in the Empire at the local and provincial level is handled by the Great Houses. The interface between the two is the Senate. where every Great family, regardless of size, has a single representative (A family is not considered as such until it has attained a certain baseline size). This system, designed to prevent the consolidation of power, also serves to provide a means for issues on the fringes of the Empire to be heard in the heart of the Imperial capital. The Senate serves a largely ceremonial role, but wise Emperors heed its council and take its matters seriously.
Sacerdos Divinas
Within the Empire, worship of all Gods is permitted. Yet above all stand the 12 Divines, formed from the primordial chaos as halves of a whole, all of the hundreds of lesser Gods descended from their various couplings. The Imperial Family claims descent from all of them by way of Khrainos. They also attribute their two great rival Empires, the Numians and the Zourians, as the descendants of the Goddess of Rivers and the God of the Desert and the God of Foreigners with the Goddess of Beauty respectively, with their various idiosyncrasies coming from the lack of balance these pairings introduced in their line.
At the head of all worship? The Sacerdos Divinas. A Council of 12, including the high priests and priestesses of each Deity and led by the Primus, elected from amongst their number and serving as the High Priest for all the Divines, this organization controls the entire Imperial religion. From them decisions pass to the High temples, then out across the land. In terms of authority, they are largely independent, yet not utterly so—past power struggles have seen it decided that the Emperor possesses unique insight on divine matters due to heritage and may, at any time, overrule the council. This has not been done in over 200 years, yet the threat has served to prevent any attempt of the Council to consolidate more power.
Imperatoria Exercitus
The Imperial Army, an institution so foundational that it is considered to predate the Empire itself. Largely composed of heavy infantry, it has nonetheless evolved since its foundation. The regular addition of Numian horse archers since the conquest of that Empire has seen itself pay dividends, as has the addition of Pikemen and Halberdiers innovated during the years of crisis. Under the personal command of the Emperor and considered his most important duty, without the army, there is no Empire.
Unusually for Imperial institutions, members of the Great Houses are given no innate advantage in advancement. The army has been commanded in the past by peasants, foreigners, slaves and career soldiers and takes pride in the fact that to advance into the high command, one must simply be the best. This does, however, serve to strengthen the Great Houses—for very rarely does a man reach the top without being offered the chance to establish his own House.
Imperatoria Classe
If the Army protects the body of the Empire, the Navy secures its blood. With the Empire always reliant on the sea for trade and control, it has put great effort into being the only meaningful Naval power on any sea it controls. Its massive ships patrol its coasts, seal its straits and carry out extensive voyages beyond the edge of the map. It's greatest advantage, Dragon's Fire, a magical alchemical mixture that can be launched from catapults or lobbed by heavy metal lofting tubes and sets virtually anything, including water, ablaze. It was this innovation that utterly ended the Numian's as a sea power and has broken coastal cities across the known world.
Unlike the Army, the Navy is heavily insular and virtually always promotes from within the Great Houses. This is not so much by design as a quirk of necessity. With all opposing naval powers long destroyed, the only way one can gain the experience to command ships is to serve on them and work your way up. Even the highest, however, do not know the secrets to create Dragon's Fire. That knowledge, spread across three priesthoods, is known in its entirety only by members of the Imperial Family.
The Great Houses
A political tapestry so massive that no one knows all the fine threads that connect them, the hundreds of Great Houses across the Empire are the institutional backbone that allows the Empire to exist.
These houses are created in three ways. First and least common, house schisms between rival factions have been known to cause large houses to split. Second, those who are of great service to the Emperor are typically granted title, land and marriages arranged to establish themselves as a minor house, which typically reaches Great status within two generations. Third is the division of the Imperial House itself. With Emperors often having dozens of children and marrying them across the Empire, it quickly became clear that an Imperial House of thousands of members was impractical. So it was decided that only those related to the current eldest Emperor within three generations could be of the Imperial family. All others either married into the great houses or else, were given leave to establish houses of their own.
While Houses control vast swathes of the Empire, there is a difference between what they control and what they own. Typically, only their estates and certain lands required to supply them are their direct possessions. All else is owned by the crown and control given in exchange for a proportion of revenue. Revenue is counted out over the course of a decade and distributed across all controlled lands, a deliberate mechanism to prevent famine, pestilence or weather event from bankrupting a house. Some percentage of these lands may revert to the Crown at any time and these are used in the establishment of new houses, in particular in conquered territories. The land is worked by paid citizens, who themselves are able to pay on similar terms to rent the land.
Marriage
Marriage in the Empire is, primarily, a political arrangement for the creation of heirs. Upon marriage, the bride or groom is adopted into the house of their betrothed, based on the decision of the couple. This serves as a form of adoption that has ensured the total death of an ancient family is virtually unheard of. Even upon divorce, they remain members of their adopted family and any children of new marriages might e brought into that family. Though Monogamy is most common, Polygamy is far from rare amongst the nobility, with both sexes able to take multiple spouses and even, on occasion, at the same time, leading to sprawling trees of women married to multiple men who each have multiple wives.
Concubinage is an expected part of an upper-class marriage, the use of lower-class or slave women as a form of stress relief. Male concubinage is far from unheard of, but typically requires complex sterilization rituals to be permitted. Concubines are all sterile or on some variety of birth control as a rule, but in cases of pregnancy, the child is typically granted the same rights as trueborn children, though their treatment can vary.
Where marriage is most rare is for the Emperor himself. Expected to father enough children to ensure no risk to his dynasty, it is considered odd for an Emperor to bother with marriage, as their unique system of consorts already functions, in many ways, as a more permanent bond. Women taken as consorts, to prevent any false claims of imperial ancestry, may never marry or bed outside of their Emperor, a rule far stricter than any marriage, which typically requires only two years to prevent any confusion over paternity.
Children
At the centre of any Great House is their children. Parental involvement is powerfully pressured and it is expected that training the next generation will take precedent over all else. Though the mother and father take the greatest role, it is expected for aunts, uncles, grandparents, grown siblings and other adult House members to assist in rearing. Imperial children tend to be extremely close to their cousins and siblings, with the two roles viewed as almost interchangeable.
Childhood is divided into four parts, each marked by a transition point every six years.
From birth until their sixth year, all are considered infants. For girls, this is typically seen in knee length dresses, lack of piercings and a common trend to keep hair short or in dual braids. For boys, shorts are worn with plain shirts and no weapons of any kind are carried, though some training with wooden weapons can occur.
At six, childhood begins. Girls wear full length dresses, are permitted silks and pierced ears. Boys typically receive their first real dagger at this age, full length trousers and a vest that mimics the military style. This is the age where children of both sexes are first permitted (extremely well watered) wine.
At twelve, adolescence begins. Young women receive more elaborate dresses, often involving wrapped laters of fabric. They also become required to wear a caul at all times which covers, at least symbolically, their hair. Though often translucent, this is considered a mark of a woman not yet deemed mature enough for marriage and "covered hair" is a common idiom for immaturity. Young men transition to wearing a sword from a dagger and a full military uniform. It is most common for them to spend at least a handful of years undergoing military training. This is the age where regular wine is permitted, with drunkenness typically being viewed as a problem that quickly fixes itself in the form of hangovers.
At 18, adulthood is reached. In theory, this is the age for marriage, though for women their mothers and for men their fathers can and will delay them by several years if they are not ready. Women are permitted to uncover their hair and men are typically gifted an ornate cape that covers their off-arm.
Sex
Sex is considered a natural and expected part of life for men and women. The need for mutual pleasure is expected and those believed to be selfish lovers are often mocked and derided as possessing a form of impotence.
Same-sex relations, at minimum common, often border on the ubiquitous. With little room for unrelated men and women to interact before marriage, exploration is considered a natural part of development and it is considered deeply impolite to bring up such trysts after they have passed. Men and women of marrying age have more freedom to interact and the availability of certain herbs which prevent pregnancy allow for explorations ahead of marriage. It is rare for a couple to marry without having shared a bed first and some arranged marriages will specifically arrange the honeymoon to occur first so that there are no ill omens come the wedding night.
Though virginity is not expected, it is considered deeply spiritually significant and men and women will often remain lifelong friends with the ones that took it, as a religious rite of adulthood.
Shame regarding displays of sexuality and nudity is deeply contextual. It is far from unheard of to see indulgences at feasts and also far from unheard of for it to turn into a spectator sport. There is a deep taboo against such displays outside of events where only adults are present.
The two-day feast of Kerat, God of Debauchery, marking the end of the year, is typically celebrated by a breaking of norms. Massive orgies are organized and aphrodisiacs consumed that tend to leave little room for concern about who pleasure is coming from.
Bathing and Hygiene
The most sacred and beloved Imperial recreation is that of the bathhouse. These massive buildings, communal for those of marrying age, feature not only bathing facilities but exercise, saunas, spas and other amenities. It is far from unheard of for hot summer days or cold winter evenings to be passed entirely within the bathhouse and daily bathing is expected of all adults in some form or another. These facilities often include meeting rooms, game rooms and taverns specifically to allow for more time to be spent there.
Most commonly, Imperial women remove their hair by means of pumice stones and varieties of wax, often made of sugar. Used as a status symbol, it indicates a woman's ability to devote time to grooming. Men commonly remove hair from their chests, legs and arms, while pubic hair is trimmed, but left intact as a sign of masculinity, as is armpit hair.
Recreation
The universal recreation of the Empire is found in the Capital's Hippodrome. Chariot races, gladiatorial combat and other sporting competitions occur in this venue and others like it multiple times a month and are paid for by the Imperial family, with no charge for admission and only the Imperial box itself as seating segregated by class. Also common are plays, performances, dramatic readings of poetry and playing of music, though these are more commonly seen in smaller theatres and pubs. The various athletes are members of teams associated with the twelve divines and a thirteenth that represents the Emperor. Competition is fierce, if brutal and deaths which occur in the course of the games are considered religious sacrifices.
All cultured members of the nobility are expected to have some artistic pursuit. From sewing and needlepoint to poetry, painting, drawing, singing or the playing of instruments, it is a cultural mainstay. Duelling is, in this category also considered an art form, though the type used to show off is a type of little use on a battlefield.
Boardgames are particularly common and considered a prime way to teach children to engage with adult society. Though variants of chess, checkers and others exist, the preferred Imperial game, called Stones or Go, is considered the highest practice because it most resembles the strategy of the various political and military manoeuvres. Members of the Imperial family in particular often spend years honing their skills in the game, using their ability to beat outsiders as proof of their superior education.
Literacy is universal amongst the nobility and common amongst the lower classes. Books printed by printing press have become common and virtually anyone of some affluence aims to own at least one.
Languages
The Imperial language, though virtually every province has a distinct dialect and accent, can be broadly defined within two categories. Imperii Decorus, High Imperial, is the distinct language and accent of the Great Houses. While not entirely unintelligible to commoners, it is immediately distinct enough that only those with immense practice can pass unnoticed. Imperii Rusticus or Imperial common, is considered the vulgar tongue and is typically a sign of low or rural birth.
Numian is still commonly spoken in the Province of Numia, outside of the cities, which have largely embraced Imperial integration.
Imperial Sign, a unique language used almost exclusively by the Imperial family, this series of taps and finger poses is designed to convey information entirely by sight or by feel, allowing members of the Imperial family and trusted servants to convey secret messages in crowded rooms. Deceptively simple in appearance, it possesses many deliberately strange idiosyncrasies that make it almost impossible for an outsider to decipher from context clues alone, in particular with the way a hand is positioned being able to invert the message that was tapped or turn a statement into a question. Any servant found teaching it outside of the Imperial family and their slaves typically loses their hands to prevent any further mistakes.
Food
The food available within the empire is as diverse as the peoples that dwell within it, with foreign dishes, fruits, vegetables and meats from far afield having made their way into the everyday diet of those rich enough to afford them or too poor to afford anything else.
While each province possesses its own palette, informed by the climate, soil and culture, persistent throughout is the expectation of daily bread, provided by the enormous tracts of irrigated farmland around Argentia, as well as the Numian river basin. Combined with olive oil, wine and abundant fresh seafood, all provided in some quantity by the Imperial administration, few go truly hungry. Most of the lower class have taken to the keeping of chickens and other poultry, with their meat and eggs rapidly becoming another staple. Potatoes have become almost universally cultivated as an emergency food source, yet are still indulged by the wealthy for their novelty. Olive groves and vineyards within the Imperial heartlands help support most of the cities, alongside vast orchards that provide more nuanced options for those with the wealth to afford them.
With abundant rivers and seas, transportation of nearly any foodstuff is possible, yet the Imperial family also maintains large greenhouses and natural preserves within the grounds of the Imperial city and in some cases, within the palace itself, providing fresh food that would otherwise require days of shipping from the south. This concession to luxury has also saved the city multiple times, retaining arable lands sufficient to feed its population able to be repurposed in the event of a siege to keep the city fed indefinitely.
Beyond the staples, amongst the wealthy, the consumption of meat and cheese is nearly universally expected, with particular favour for beef, lamb and pork. Certain meats, particularly boar and venison, is strictly regulated outside of times of famine and is permitted only for consumption by members of a great house and their guests. Poultry is more commonly consumed by the lower class, but can feature in the meals of the wealthy as a means to show off foreign spices. Pasta has recently become a common food, particularly paired with rich sauces and increasingly abundant spices. Sausages are widely consumed, with the primary difference being the quality and prominence of the meats and seasoning within. Honey is still mostly commonly used in deserts, available even to those of relatively meagre standing, yet the cultivation of sugar cane in the lands around Delphinus has provided greater diversity for the ultra-wealthy. Nuts are frequently used for additional variety and butters and creams for toppings. Virtually all meals are taken with wine, sweetened in the morning or mulled in the evening. Though wine is effectively universal, both ale and strong spirits are readily available, though both possess a strong taboo amongst the higher classes, particularly women, though one frequently ignored by soldiers.
The most common meal pattern amongst the wealthy is a large meal in the morning and in the evening, with either a light midday meal or small indulgences throughout the day. Part of this is a concession to their recreational lifestyles, as it allows them to spend long days in the baths, on rides, at public spectacles or otherwise engaged in recreation without need to accommodate or bring a large meal. There is a strong cultural taboo against refusal to feed a guest and virtually all noble households will distribute their excess foods to their own servants and, with any excess, to poor petitioners. The Imperial Household takes this to extremes, feeding tens of thousands every day in the square outside the palace with higher-quality breads, meats and vegetables at the cost of a single prayer for the health of the Emperor.
Characters can be found here.
Thank you to @Firefly @Mikaela Corvid and @OrganicIntelligence for their contributions.
Life in the Empire
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Founding Of An Empire
Nigh on 2000 years ago, Khrainos, God of Unity, Stability and conquest, fell in love.
The woman, Helene "Dulcis" the only daughter of the king of a small island city-state surrounded by much larger powers, was regarded by all who saw her as the fairest woman in the world. Some claimed the Goddess of Beauty herself was jealous—others than she had lain with the king and Helene was of her own divine flesh. The kings of each of the three kingdoms that surrounded them desired her and it was through her beauty she kept all three at bay, for any that assailed her father would find himself set upon by the other two and destroyed utterly, for such was her beauty that no man would compromise in his desire once his blood was raised.
But Khrainos was no mere mortal and he came to her in the night, claiming that which no mortal was worthy of. Before the year was out, she bore twins, a son and a daughter, with golden hair and golden eyes and the strength and beauty of divine parentage. Aurelius and Aurelia, the gilded children, were concealed from the world within the palace, in knowledge that if any of the kings learned their object of desire had been bedded, all would seek their revenge. For twenty years they remained, learning in turn from each of the twelve divines, for Khrainos claimed descent from all and each saw themselves in the children.
On their 21st birthday, the old king finally passed and, Aurelius, at last prepared, took up the crown. Knowing he could not defeat all three kings, he made offers in secret—to one to wed his mother, to the other to wed his sister. He made no offer to the strongest and as he had known, the man attacked recklessly with all his forces. Aurelius, his father's blade in hand and in golden armour, led his men on an assault as his secret allies revealed themselves—one, with their great fleet, destroying the navy that tried to take the strait, the other, whose soldiers were consecrated in the service of the divines, landed and joined in the fray. The enemy king, a man of immense size who all believed was the son of Nemar the War God himself, fell to Aurelius in single combat when, through a treacherous stroke, he lost the favour of his father. What foes remained cast down their arms and the lords, seeing Aurelius resplendent in the sun, knelt before him.
And so four kings became three.
A grand feast was held that night, three kings of now three kingdoms, all believed they would be bonded as family.
Yet where Aurelius had made oaths, he had made only promises that he would command his sister and mother. Yet by the law of his kingdom, such commands held no sway. Aurelia walked to the alter, swearing her vows to a king so bloated that he required the help of servants to stand—yet when he tried to kiss her, she drew her dagger and drove it deep, biting bone. As the man's sailors rose, she spoke and commanded them, as their queen, to kneel—and all obeyed. She turned and knelt to her brother.
And so three kings became two.
The other king, seeing Aurelia resplendent and commanding and finding her mother now plain in his eyes, turned and spoke fatal words "Damn my oaths, I will have the girl or I will have your head."
One of his own, on hearing this, drove a dagger into his back and with the guidance of an angry god, the blade found his heart. The men looked around and, as though driven by some religious ecstasy, knelt.
And so two kings became merely Aurelius, who rose and proclaimed his empire. An Empire to be built upon four pillars—Himself, the Grand Army of one foe, the Grand Navy of the second and the Divine bonds of the third.
He took the daughters of each of his foes as his consorts and his sister the sons, founding an Imperial dynasty that saw half a hundred children before they died, together, in their 120th year.
Over the next three hundred years, their sons conquered westwards and eastwards and northwards, breaking each kingdom that opposed the Emperor and, those who willingly knelt, marrying into the Imperial family and founding many of the Imperial Great houses.
The Great Collapse
Twelve Hundred years after the founding of the Empire, a single weak man nearly saw the end of all.
Emperor Marionos II was a man blessed with three strong sons, any of whom would have made a grand Emperor. Yet he was indecisive and uncertain. He named none co-emperor and instead, granted each governorship over large swathes of the Empire. When he died unexpectedly, each son proclaimed himself emperor and marched on the Capital. The brutal three way clash outside the walls of the capital saw two of the three fall—yet the survivor was weakened and, when rebellions began to break out across the west, his march to crush them saw his army instead destroyed, utterly.
The last light of the Empire was held by his only child, an infant daughter, Selene I, who became the first child ever to rule the Empire. Her regents pulled all forces they could back to the city and with the navy, protected the city itself from all attempts to assail it. To the South, the Numian Empress moved to secure Imperial cities that had been established on her coast, while to the east the Shanenshah of the Zourians moved to conquer the Eastern Provinces. Many believe that, had they been willing, either might have been able to assail the Imperial Capital. Yet each claimed portions of the Eastern Empire and bled themselves white in their efforts to see their claims enforced.
Serene grew and married and her son grew and married and her grandson grew and married and though the city was strong, the Empire was shattered. False kings reigned throughout West and East alike, while the loyal imperial families from across the Empire came to the capital, finding nowhere else safe.
It was her great-grandson, Belisario the Lion, who at last, began to piece the Empire back together. Coming into his reign by 25, he led his army to the East, reconquering vital lands to supply him with food and soldiers for the wars to come. Striking North east, then west, he effectively secured what is today called the Heartlands, those parts of the Empire ruled directly by the Emperor. His Navy, rebuilt, closed the great Straits to all traffic except those willing to pay brutal tolls and soon, the Imperial coffers overflowed. By the time of his death, the entire Argentia river basin, the breadbasket of the Empire, was once again kneeling and the Eastern City of Dominatia, controlling the Emperor's canal which connected the Mare Imperatoris with the Mare Aromatum and allowed sea trade with the Zourian Empire, had been reclaimed.
Belisario saw over 100 Winters and two dozen sons—but learned from his mistakes. The strongest became Emperor and his brothers went forth to conquer only in his name.
The Times of Blood and Bone
On an archipelago far the North of any Imperial territory, four peoples can be found.
Despite the Empire calling the sea that surrounded them Mare Glacies, as it was marked by when the water got so cold that a man who fell overboard would struggle to swim, the southern portions of the island were fertile and prosperous.
In the region, the first of the four peoples are the Ármenn, are interlopers from the Southeast, what the Empire called the client kingdoms. They have at various times established colonies and trade and never more than in the freedom permitted by the collapse.
To the South of the Islands, there are the Hveitmenn, a settled society who largely farm and engage in little raiding, preferring to use their valuable position to trade with the Armenn and the Imperials, for supplies which they then sell to those further North.
Spread across the Archipelago are the various clans of the Blóðmenn who, while having settled societies, have ritualized the act of raiding for slaves, materials and in particular, anything which they cannot get except at great expense. Throughout history they have raided the Armenn, the western kingdoms and the Hveitmenn, but never the Empire—not until the collapse.
Far to the North are the Sjórmenn, whose lands, largely too cold for farming, engage in fishing, animal husbandry, woodcutting and, vitally, extended journeys. These have established a successful trade link to lands in the west and are the source of certain foods, furs and materials not native to the continent.
The Empire has never had any major presence on the Islands, with one single exception. In the South East, there now stand a powerful fortress city at what the locals call Beinland, called in the High Imperial tongue Vindicta, to engage in trade and deterrence.
As the Empire collapsed, Northern raiders almost all Blóðmenn, free like never before, raided south into the former lands of the Empire, even attempting an assault upon the Imperatori itself. This assault continued for perhaps two hundred years depending how it is measured, even after Belesario began the restoration.
That was, until a particularly violent raid upon the newly established Porta Aquilo saw the taking of the sister of a sitting Empress. Eirene the Vengeful, grandaughter of Belisario, gathered the Imperial fleet and the army, sailing North.
She took vengeance.
The great city now called Vindicta was sacked by siege tactics unknown to the Northerners and every man, woman and child was killed or taken in chains. The Imperial Army then marched north, the Navy accompanying them along the coast. They exterminated anyone who they came across, frequently driving the Blóðmenn from their villages onto their ships before the fleet would appear and, hurling streams of fire, burn all who tried to sail away. The campaign lasted ten years and saw the population of the Isles halved, entire tribes all but exterminated.
Desperate to stop the slaughter, the tribes, enemies and friends alike, unified in a desperate plea for peace. Those who refused they enslaved and delivered in chains to the Empress as repayment, along with the return of her sister, a clan of her light-haired children in tow and the head of her captor hanging from her belt. There, kneeling before foreign gods, each clan, each tribe and each family swore a blood oath. Any man that touched an imperial land would be declared anathema and killed without mercy, any merchant who bore an imperial mark was sacrosanct and the Empire was permitted, as it chose, to entice men and women from any clan to abandon their tribe and join their service. This led collectively to the two orders. The Fratres Gladii, men and women alike who served as the Emperor's guard and most loyal troops and the all-female Valkyrja, women specifically chosen for their skill and fanatical loyalty to guard the Imperial Palace and in particular, the children of the Emperor. These brutal shock troops would see the reconquest of the Eastern Empire completed
The Organizations of Empire
Fratres Gladii
Northern warriors sworn by blood oath into Imperial service, these men and women, fighting in heavy armour and with heavy axe, sword or mace, have sworn their lives to the personal service of the Emperor. Where his army attacks, they claim the right to lead the Vanguard and when traitors are taken, they claim the right to make a public example. Their singular devotion has garnered a fearsome reputation, as when the need arises, they will kill as commanded without hesitation or mercy
Valkyrja
Born from the ranks of the Frates Galdii, this all-female force are sworn to the personal defence of the imperial family. Restricted to women so as to be able to guard imperial wives and princesses in places where men cannot, they increase their numbers by recruiting the best, most capable women who arrive from the North and by raising their own daughters to Imperial service. Never marrying and never holding any title outside the guard, they are quite insular as a rule and have developed their own dialect of mixed Imperial and Nothern tongues. While they defend the Imperial family, they do so in much the same way a cat hunts rodents and will disobey even the most direct orders of the Emperor himself if their duty compels them. More than one Emperor has been forced to do as he was told rather than have his own bodyguard carry him out.
On some occasions, women of the Imperial family have themselves sworn the oaths of Valkyrja. These women are granted special privilege and position, but are also held to the harshest of standards
Servi
In common parlance, there are millions of slaves within the bounds of the Empire. This is, when one considers Imperial law, a half-truth. Personal ownership of individuals was outlawed from the very beginning of the empire. It was believed that it allowed to much consolidation of power by the individual houses and that the Empire would be better served by allowing freedmen to work the land. While slave markets can be found in virtually every city in the empire, these slaves come from three sources—criminals sentenced for certain crimes, war captives and those who sell themselves out of desperation or poverty. These are bound to serve their owners a non-renewable term of 20 years, are protected against certain forms of abuse under the law and receive a portion of land upon their release or the payment for a guild seal for those possessing the skills to enter a trade. Children born to slaves are born free and have the same rights as all others.
There are, however, two permitted forms of ownership with a deep and rich history.
Stigmata Servi
The term for slaves owned by the Imperial family, this group of women and eunuchs are overwhelmingly prizes of war and, through use of ritual binding carried out by the priests of multiple of the twelve divines, are shaped into the perfect servants.
The rituals, involving the removal and burning of reproductive organs, both fuel the magic and ensure that those taken into service can never have any desire outside of their service. Tattooed from head to feet, with typically only the face spared and unable to be freed regardless of circumstances, these servants are only able to advance internally and many have, by doing so, become extremely prominent and respected members of imperial society. Compelled to worship the Imperial cult and promised rewards in the afterlife for service, they are altered by spells that drastically slow their aging, enhance their beauty and improve their stamina, balance and grace, while also removing certain abilities. They are constitutionally incapable of violence, falling into pained fits of nausea if they attempt to so much as crush an insect, including any action that might harm themselves. They are taught to worship any member of the Imperial family as a semi-divine entity and lying to them or disobeying their commands has been known to induce a feeling of shame so powerful they cannot function without relieving it. These vulnerabilities are somewhat offset by protections of law—which proscribe the same punishment for harming a Stigmata outside of basic discipline as for the same crime against an infant to any outside the Imperial family.
The overwhelming majority of these slaves are to be found in the palaces, manors and retinues of the Imperial family, doing everything from preparing meals (the animals are, for obvious reasons, slaughtered by others) to scribing to warming beds, a duty carried out eagerly as the highest honour and form of worship. Others are trained as everything from doctors to midwives to advisors to the Emperor himself. The slave's council, a body of twelve of those most favoured by the Emperor, oversees all others and can promote, demote, reward or punish those below them. Lacking all other forms of advancement, loyal and competenant service are the only route upwards. The Imperial family is also aware of the power these slaves hold and so will offer some of them to serve prominent Imperial Families. To have even one in their service is considered an immense honour and one that cannot be bought—only favour can earn it. This, in turn, gives House Nicolaides a group of utterly devoted agents in the councils of the high and mighty.
Sanctio Servi
A separate caste of slaves, these are owned collectively by one or more of the dozens of Priesthoods in service to the Greater or Lesser Divines. Typically, these willingly enslave themselves as a form of restitution or penance to the God or Goddess in question and can serve in ways from cleaning the Temples to working in the fields. This is considered a high calling and is taken by some criminals who would otherwise face execution, though bound by oaths that are far worse than death if broken.
The Institutions of Empire
Senātus
Outside of the Imperial Family, who oversee the Empire itself, the overwhelming majority of governing in the Empire at the local and provincial level is handled by the Great Houses. The interface between the two is the Senate. where every Great family, regardless of size, has a single representative (A family is not considered as such until it has attained a certain baseline size). This system, designed to prevent the consolidation of power, also serves to provide a means for issues on the fringes of the Empire to be heard in the heart of the Imperial capital. The Senate serves a largely ceremonial role, but wise Emperors heed its council and take its matters seriously.
Sacerdos Divinas
Within the Empire, worship of all Gods is permitted. Yet above all stand the 12 Divines, formed from the primordial chaos as halves of a whole, all of the hundreds of lesser Gods descended from their various couplings. The Imperial Family claims descent from all of them by way of Khrainos. They also attribute their two great rival Empires, the Numians and the Zourians, as the descendants of the Goddess of Rivers and the God of the Desert and the God of Foreigners with the Goddess of Beauty respectively, with their various idiosyncrasies coming from the lack of balance these pairings introduced in their line.
At the head of all worship? The Sacerdos Divinas. A Council of 12, including the high priests and priestesses of each Deity and led by the Primus, elected from amongst their number and serving as the High Priest for all the Divines, this organization controls the entire Imperial religion. From them decisions pass to the High temples, then out across the land. In terms of authority, they are largely independent, yet not utterly so—past power struggles have seen it decided that the Emperor possesses unique insight on divine matters due to heritage and may, at any time, overrule the council. This has not been done in over 200 years, yet the threat has served to prevent any attempt of the Council to consolidate more power.
Imperatoria Exercitus
The Imperial Army, an institution so foundational that it is considered to predate the Empire itself. Largely composed of heavy infantry, it has nonetheless evolved since its foundation. The regular addition of Numian horse archers since the conquest of that Empire has seen itself pay dividends, as has the addition of Pikemen and Halberdiers innovated during the years of crisis. Under the personal command of the Emperor and considered his most important duty, without the army, there is no Empire.
Unusually for Imperial institutions, members of the Great Houses are given no innate advantage in advancement. The army has been commanded in the past by peasants, foreigners, slaves and career soldiers and takes pride in the fact that to advance into the high command, one must simply be the best. This does, however, serve to strengthen the Great Houses—for very rarely does a man reach the top without being offered the chance to establish his own House.
Imperatoria Classe
If the Army protects the body of the Empire, the Navy secures its blood. With the Empire always reliant on the sea for trade and control, it has put great effort into being the only meaningful Naval power on any sea it controls. Its massive ships patrol its coasts, seal its straits and carry out extensive voyages beyond the edge of the map. It's greatest advantage, Dragon's Fire, a magical alchemical mixture that can be launched from catapults or lobbed by heavy metal lofting tubes and sets virtually anything, including water, ablaze. It was this innovation that utterly ended the Numian's as a sea power and has broken coastal cities across the known world.
Unlike the Army, the Navy is heavily insular and virtually always promotes from within the Great Houses. This is not so much by design as a quirk of necessity. With all opposing naval powers long destroyed, the only way one can gain the experience to command ships is to serve on them and work your way up. Even the highest, however, do not know the secrets to create Dragon's Fire. That knowledge, spread across three priesthoods, is known in its entirety only by members of the Imperial Family.
Life in the Empire
The Great Houses
A political tapestry so massive that no one knows all the fine threads that connect them, the hundreds of Great Houses across the Empire are the institutional backbone that allows the Empire to exist.
These houses are created in three ways. First and least common, house schisms between rival factions have been known to cause large houses to split. Second, those who are of great service to the Emperor are typically granted title, land and marriages arranged to establish themselves as a minor house, which typically reaches Great status within two generations. Third is the division of the Imperial House itself. With Emperors often having dozens of children and marrying them across the Empire, it quickly became clear that an Imperial House of thousands of members was impractical. So it was decided that only those related to the current eldest Emperor within three generations could be of the Imperial family. All others either married into the great houses or else, were given leave to establish houses of their own.
While Houses control vast swathes of the Empire, there is a difference between what they control and what they own. Typically, only their estates and certain lands required to supply them are their direct possessions. All else is owned by the crown and control given in exchange for a proportion of revenue. Revenue is counted out over the course of a decade and distributed across all controlled lands, a deliberate mechanism to prevent famine, pestilence or weather event from bankrupting a house. Some percentage of these lands may revert to the Crown at any time and these are used in the establishment of new houses, in particular in conquered territories. The land is worked by paid citizens, who themselves are able to pay on similar terms to rent the land.
Marriage
Marriage in the Empire is, primarily, a political arrangement for the creation of heirs. Upon marriage, the bride or groom is adopted into the house of their betrothed, based on the decision of the couple. This serves as a form of adoption that has ensured the total death of an ancient family is virtually unheard of. Even upon divorce, they remain members of their adopted family and any children of new marriages might e brought into that family. Though Monogamy is most common, Polygamy is far from rare amongst the nobility, with both sexes able to take multiple spouses and even, on occasion, at the same time, leading to sprawling trees of women married to multiple men who each have multiple wives.
Concubinage is an expected part of an upper-class marriage, the use of lower-class or slave women as a form of stress relief. Male concubinage is far from unheard of, but typically requires complex sterilization rituals to be permitted. Concubines are all sterile or on some variety of birth control as a rule, but in cases of pregnancy, the child is typically granted the same rights as trueborn children, though their treatment can vary.
Where marriage is most rare is for the Emperor himself. Expected to father enough children to ensure no risk to his dynasty, it is considered odd for an Emperor to bother with marriage, as their unique system of consorts already functions, in many ways, as a more permanent bond. Women taken as consorts, to prevent any false claims of imperial ancestry, may never marry or bed outside of their Emperor, a rule far stricter than any marriage, which typically requires only two years to prevent any confusion over paternity.
Children
At the centre of any Great House is their children. Parental involvement is powerfully pressured and it is expected that training the next generation will take precedent over all else. Though the mother and father take the greatest role, it is expected for aunts, uncles, grandparents, grown siblings and other adult House members to assist in rearing. Imperial children tend to be extremely close to their cousins and siblings, with the two roles viewed as almost interchangeable.
Childhood is divided into four parts, each marked by a transition point every six years.
From birth until their sixth year, all are considered infants. For girls, this is typically seen in knee length dresses, lack of piercings and a common trend to keep hair short or in dual braids. For boys, shorts are worn with plain shirts and no weapons of any kind are carried, though some training with wooden weapons can occur.
At six, childhood begins. Girls wear full length dresses, are permitted silks and pierced ears. Boys typically receive their first real dagger at this age, full length trousers and a vest that mimics the military style. This is the age where children of both sexes are first permitted (extremely well watered) wine.
At twelve, adolescence begins. Young women receive more elaborate dresses, often involving wrapped laters of fabric. They also become required to wear a caul at all times which covers, at least symbolically, their hair. Though often translucent, this is considered a mark of a woman not yet deemed mature enough for marriage and "covered hair" is a common idiom for immaturity. Young men transition to wearing a sword from a dagger and a full military uniform. It is most common for them to spend at least a handful of years undergoing military training. This is the age where regular wine is permitted, with drunkenness typically being viewed as a problem that quickly fixes itself in the form of hangovers.
At 18, adulthood is reached. In theory, this is the age for marriage, though for women their mothers and for men their fathers can and will delay them by several years if they are not ready. Women are permitted to uncover their hair and men are typically gifted an ornate cape that covers their off-arm.
Sex
Sex is considered a natural and expected part of life for men and women. The need for mutual pleasure is expected and those believed to be selfish lovers are often mocked and derided as possessing a form of impotence.
Same-sex relations, at minimum common, often border on the ubiquitous. With little room for unrelated men and women to interact before marriage, exploration is considered a natural part of development and it is considered deeply impolite to bring up such trysts after they have passed. Men and women of marrying age have more freedom to interact and the availability of certain herbs which prevent pregnancy allow for explorations ahead of marriage. It is rare for a couple to marry without having shared a bed first and some arranged marriages will specifically arrange the honeymoon to occur first so that there are no ill omens come the wedding night.
Though virginity is not expected, it is considered deeply spiritually significant and men and women will often remain lifelong friends with the ones that took it, as a religious rite of adulthood.
Shame regarding displays of sexuality and nudity is deeply contextual. It is far from unheard of to see indulgences at feasts and also far from unheard of for it to turn into a spectator sport. There is a deep taboo against such displays outside of events where only adults are present.
The two-day feast of Kerat, God of Debauchery, marking the end of the year, is typically celebrated by a breaking of norms. Massive orgies are organized and aphrodisiacs consumed that tend to leave little room for concern about who pleasure is coming from.
Bathing and Hygiene
The most sacred and beloved Imperial recreation is that of the bathhouse. These massive buildings, communal for those of marrying age, feature not only bathing facilities but exercise, saunas, spas and other amenities. It is far from unheard of for hot summer days or cold winter evenings to be passed entirely within the bathhouse and daily bathing is expected of all adults in some form or another. These facilities often include meeting rooms, game rooms and taverns specifically to allow for more time to be spent there.
Most commonly, Imperial women remove their hair by means of pumice stones and varieties of wax, often made of sugar. Used as a status symbol, it indicates a woman's ability to devote time to grooming. Men commonly remove hair from their chests, legs and arms, while pubic hair is trimmed, but left intact as a sign of masculinity, as is armpit hair.
Recreation
The universal recreation of the Empire is found in the Capital's Hippodrome. Chariot races, gladiatorial combat and other sporting competitions occur in this venue and others like it multiple times a month and are paid for by the Imperial family, with no charge for admission and only the Imperial box itself as seating segregated by class. Also common are plays, performances, dramatic readings of poetry and playing of music, though these are more commonly seen in smaller theatres and pubs. The various athletes are members of teams associated with the twelve divines and a thirteenth that represents the Emperor. Competition is fierce, if brutal and deaths which occur in the course of the games are considered religious sacrifices.
All cultured members of the nobility are expected to have some artistic pursuit. From sewing and needlepoint to poetry, painting, drawing, singing or the playing of instruments, it is a cultural mainstay. Duelling is, in this category also considered an art form, though the type used to show off is a type of little use on a battlefield.
Boardgames are particularly common and considered a prime way to teach children to engage with adult society. Though variants of chess, checkers and others exist, the preferred Imperial game, called Stones or Go, is considered the highest practice because it most resembles the strategy of the various political and military manoeuvres. Members of the Imperial family in particular often spend years honing their skills in the game, using their ability to beat outsiders as proof of their superior education.
Literacy is universal amongst the nobility and common amongst the lower classes. Books printed by printing press have become common and virtually anyone of some affluence aims to own at least one.
Languages
The Imperial language, though virtually every province has a distinct dialect and accent, can be broadly defined within two categories. Imperii Decorus, High Imperial, is the distinct language and accent of the Great Houses. While not entirely unintelligible to commoners, it is immediately distinct enough that only those with immense practice can pass unnoticed. Imperii Rusticus or Imperial common, is considered the vulgar tongue and is typically a sign of low or rural birth.
Numian is still commonly spoken in the Province of Numia, outside of the cities, which have largely embraced Imperial integration.
Imperial Sign, a unique language used almost exclusively by the Imperial family, this series of taps and finger poses is designed to convey information entirely by sight or by feel, allowing members of the Imperial family and trusted servants to convey secret messages in crowded rooms. Deceptively simple in appearance, it possesses many deliberately strange idiosyncrasies that make it almost impossible for an outsider to decipher from context clues alone, in particular with the way a hand is positioned being able to invert the message that was tapped or turn a statement into a question. Any servant found teaching it outside of the Imperial family and their slaves typically loses their hands to prevent any further mistakes.
Food
The food available within the empire is as diverse as the peoples that dwell within it, with foreign dishes, fruits, vegetables and meats from far afield having made their way into the everyday diet of those rich enough to afford them or too poor to afford anything else.
While each province possesses its own palette, informed by the climate, soil and culture, persistent throughout is the expectation of daily bread, provided by the enormous tracts of irrigated farmland around Argentia, as well as the Numian river basin. Combined with olive oil, wine and abundant fresh seafood, all provided in some quantity by the Imperial administration, few go truly hungry. Most of the lower class have taken to the keeping of chickens and other poultry, with their meat and eggs rapidly becoming another staple. Potatoes have become almost universally cultivated as an emergency food source, yet are still indulged by the wealthy for their novelty. Olive groves and vineyards within the Imperial heartlands help support most of the cities, alongside vast orchards that provide more nuanced options for those with the wealth to afford them.
With abundant rivers and seas, transportation of nearly any foodstuff is possible, yet the Imperial family also maintains large greenhouses and natural preserves within the grounds of the Imperial city and in some cases, within the palace itself, providing fresh food that would otherwise require days of shipping from the south. This concession to luxury has also saved the city multiple times, retaining arable lands sufficient to feed its population able to be repurposed in the event of a siege to keep the city fed indefinitely.
Beyond the staples, amongst the wealthy, the consumption of meat and cheese is nearly universally expected, with particular favour for beef, lamb and pork. Certain meats, particularly boar and venison, is strictly regulated outside of times of famine and is permitted only for consumption by members of a great house and their guests. Poultry is more commonly consumed by the lower class, but can feature in the meals of the wealthy as a means to show off foreign spices. Pasta has recently become a common food, particularly paired with rich sauces and increasingly abundant spices. Sausages are widely consumed, with the primary difference being the quality and prominence of the meats and seasoning within. Honey is still mostly commonly used in deserts, available even to those of relatively meagre standing, yet the cultivation of sugar cane in the lands around Delphinus has provided greater diversity for the ultra-wealthy. Nuts are frequently used for additional variety and butters and creams for toppings. Virtually all meals are taken with wine, sweetened in the morning or mulled in the evening. Though wine is effectively universal, both ale and strong spirits are readily available, though both possess a strong taboo amongst the higher classes, particularly women, though one frequently ignored by soldiers.
The most common meal pattern amongst the wealthy is a large meal in the morning and in the evening, with either a light midday meal or small indulgences throughout the day. Part of this is a concession to their recreational lifestyles, as it allows them to spend long days in the baths, on rides, at public spectacles or otherwise engaged in recreation without need to accommodate or bring a large meal. There is a strong cultural taboo against refusal to feed a guest and virtually all noble households will distribute their excess foods to their own servants and, with any excess, to poor petitioners. The Imperial Household takes this to extremes, feeding tens of thousands every day in the square outside the palace with higher-quality breads, meats and vegetables at the cost of a single prayer for the health of the Emperor.