Sylvan Empire

Despite its modern technology, the Sylvan Empire is not a modern state. While some reforms have recently been granted, the Kaiserreich is still built upon a rigid feudal caste system. A plurality of Elves belongs to the Thrall Caste, making them serfs to a Lord (bearing a title such as Count or Duke), who is, in turn, subservient to a King, who is then subservient to the Kaiser. However, the Sylvan Kaiser is not as powerful as his title may imply. The Elven nobility has always been proud and has long resisted any attack on their power, so most of the nation's administration remains in their hands. All Thralls are, technically speaking, tied to the land of their lord, but the lord's dominion over their serfs is not their only power. All tax collection, tax rates, policing, and justice policies are carried out by local nobles. Of course, local nobles must send a set percent of their tax revenue into Sylstadt. The percentage of tax revenue dedicated to Imperial Tribute is decided upon by the Kaiser, and although it has traditionally been kept fairly low, it has recently been raised. Still, however, the Sylvan government gathers most of its revenue from tariffs.   However, this is not to say that the Kaiser is completely powerless. The Imperial bureaucracy handles the foreign, monetary, and military policy of the Empire as a whole, with this bureaucracy being totally subservient to the Kaiser. The Zentralbank is one of the most powerful institutions in the Empire, as it prints out the Goldmark, but is also responsible for making sure that local nobles are paying tribute to the Kaiser, as well as being able to invest in various Empire-wide projects in which the Zentralbank cooperates with the local nobility. This is not too much to ask, and most nobles are more than happy to support Imperial policy (providing it does not come close to harming their power) but sometimes the will of the Kaiser needs to be enforced. All Elves of the Thrall and Hanseatic Castes are required to serve 5 years in the Armed Forces after they reach adulthood, and while this is not too long a time for the incredibly long-lived Elves, it is more than enough to amply train their hands for war. Dryads are exempt from conscription. This mandatory service reinforces the militaristically nationalist and obedient Elven culture but also works to keep the Kaiserreich on top of enemies both foreign and domestic, should they arise. Conscripting Hanseatics is not a problem, as they are not serfs, but to conscript a Thrall, said Thrall's ownership must be briefly transferred to the Emperor, although they are returned to their lord once their service is finished (though a Thrall can stay in the service past their required 5 years if he so chooses). Of course, those of lower castes are barred from entering the officer corp, which is a position reserved for Ritters.   Following the Deluge and the forward march of the Steam Age, the Sylvan Empire was forced to reform somewhat. The Hanseatic businessmen had realized just what exactly they could do with their power after their pullouts crashed the Montane economy, and as the nation and the world further industrialized, the nobility noticed as well. On the advice of the Crown Princess, Charlotte, Kaiser Konrad II began to exert more control over Sylvan capitalism in a manner somewhat inspired by the Lievonijan System. To start, a system of "State Patronage" would be established. The "Imperial Board Of Patronage" would oversee this system, with multiple sub offices under it administrating systems of government-funded accident insurance, old-age and disability pensions, the enforcement of the rights of all workers, Thralls and Hanseatics, to a minimum wage, fair hours, workplace safety, days off on Second-Day and Third-Day, both maternal and paternal leave, and a ban on child labor. An additional system of "Charter Companies" would be created soon after. Henceforth, all major corporations within the Kaiserreich would be forced to sign an Imperial Charter, which gives the government a large amount of control over the inner workings of the company in return for subsidies not afforded to other companies. These Charter Companies are overseen by an "Imperial Board of the Charters". However, these reforms can only do so much to halt the inevitable end of the Caste System, an end that it will bring upon itself.   The current Kaiser is Konrad II, son of the famed Konrad I. He is a military man, much like his father, but he is also known to be quite introverted and to greatly enjoy the arts, something his esteemed father was never much for. Konrad II also holds the title of King of Westenholm.   Not all of the Empire is ruled by nobles, though. Due to Konrad I's alliance with many of the biggest names in Hanseatic business, the port cities of Meerfestung and Strand were stripped from the control of their Grand Dukes and made into Free Cities. A Lord-Mayor from one of the many, many Ritter families is appointed by the Kaiser to head the Free City, and due to a lack of any other nobles within the city, he serves as an autocrat. Their rule is supported by a Merchant Diet, an advisory council made up of representatives of the local branches of the Charter Companies that do business in and from the Free City. Of course, as they are not nobles, the Hanseatics who hold council within the Diet have no real legislative power, but the Free Cities only have to pay 50% of the tribute other regions do, and if worse comes to worst, the Lord-Mayor can always be bribed. The capital city of Sylstadt is also a Free City, and while their tribute policy is the same as in Strand and Meerfestung, their Lord-Mayor is always a member of the Imperial Family and there is no Merchant Diet.   To the quiet chagrin of the Elven supremacist government, the Sylvan Empire is a multi-cultural state. While it is run almost entirely by Elves, Dryads and Reynards also call the nation home, and they live quite different lives from those of the Elves. Imperial law states that any non-Elves residing in Imperial land cannot own land of their own. Because of this, the Kaiserreich's minorities lack practically any opportunity, despite technically not being a part of the Caste System. Following the Western Clearances, many Dryads were expelled from their ancestral home, with the Arkadī Isle being the only Grand Duchy in which they make up a majority. Now, millions of Dryads can be found throughout the Empire, moving in small caravans of traveling merchants (or, less commonly, criminals). Others have settled down in the cities, where the only real options are either to perform back-breaking industrial work or to become a landlord. Imperial law is unclear as to the status of urban landlording, and there is much debate as to whether or not it falls under the purview of Ritterss or Hanseatics. On one hand, Ritters are local nobles who own land, but some state that the Hanseatics, a caste of merchants, should be in charge of renting out housing due to the fact that it is not technically land, but rather a building. Meanwhile, the Dryads have swooped in, as they are, technically speaking, not a part of the caste system, and they were desperate for any job that does not have them losing their lives in a factory. Because of this, almost all landlords within cities are Dryads, which gives the race an even worse reputation than it already had. The much smaller Reynard minority within Sylvania is almost exclusively a serf population, bent to the nobles who have settled their lands.

The Sylvan Empire is the second largest of Ecumene's nations, only just behind the Imperial Union State, but its Empire is not one of diversity. The continent of Oriens is not one of dramatic mountains, rolling grasslands, and rainswept forests. It is a far more temperate land with far less cultural diversity, but that is not something the government will complain about. The Kaiserreich itself is made up of eight constituent Kingdoms, all divided into various Baronies, Counties, and Duchies, as well as three Free Cities.   Our tour of the Empire shall start in the East with the Kingdom of Oberau. Split in two by the Syl River, it has historically been able to use this to its advantage, but aside from this notable aspect, the Kingdom is hardly unique. As one of the flatter regions of Sylvania, it lacks mineral deposits and is, therefore, an agricultural Kingdom concerned with the production of wheat, corn, barley, and potatoes. The Kingdom's capital is the city of Landkreis.   South of Oberau is Sonnehoff, a small and very poor Kingdom. While it has very fertile soil and an excellent climate, industrialization and modernization have only grazed the region (mostly being concentrated around the areas near the national capital), with the Empire's urban-rural divide being seen in great clarity here. Massive fields of wheat and corn can be found in the region, though its potato, barley, and sunflower fields are also quite large. The Kingdom's capital is the city of Kirchweg, a city on the shores of the Syl River and the site of the first Trinitist church built in what would become Sylvania, a fact that gives the city its name.   The largest and, until somewhat recently, most historically significant Kingdom of Sylvania is the Kingdom of Aldenwald. It is centered around a great ridge of rolling hills that curls through the Mittelland, giving the Kingdom a wealth of mineral resources, including iron, lead, lignite, magnesium, bauxite, nickel, and copper, although it is also the most agriculturally productive Kingdom of the nation. Due to this, as well as its size, Aldenwald is the most populated Kingdom in the country and its needs still hold a great amount of weight when it comes to policymaking. Its capital, named the same as the Kingdom, was the capital city of the first Sylvan Empire. Aldenwald is also home to the city of Hallein.   Only one Kingdom has been able to eclipse Aldenwald in power and that is the Kingdom of Westenholm. The home of the reigning House von Drachenstein, it sits firmly within the aforementioned ridge of rolling hills, and while it is no more minerally rich than Aldenwald, its smaller size has prodded the Kingdom to move more towards industry than agricultural. Westenholm does sport a rather warm climate, though, on account of the Suntouched Current brushing past, allowing it to grow the staple crop of wheat, but also grapes, soybeans, and tomatoes. The Kingdom's capital is the city of Metich, with the city of Völktrenk also being within its borders.   The Kingdom of Hasetorf is rather uninteresting, located on the coast of the Horned Sea, though lacking in the fjords of the Taiga. Hasetorf has the less than lofty distinction of being the first of the Elven Kingdoms to be reintegrated into the Kaiserreich. It grows the standard fare of wheat, barley, and potatoes, and has the city of Adelfels as its capital.   The Kingdoms of Abendufer and Neustein are often grouped together and for good reason. They are almost identical in function and both share the history of once being a part of the Shahdom of Arkadija, but are now almost entirely Elven in racial makeup. The soil in these provinces is quite poor, and much of the coast is covered in mires and bogs, making it so that the most viable crops are potatoes and beets. Religiously speaking, the people of the Westland predominantly belong to the Pure Temple denomination of Commonalism (though a large part of the nobility does not), whereas almost all other Elves call themselves Uniters.   The last of the Kingdoms is Kaiserwerder, though that is not the name a majority of its citizens call it by. The Dryads, who make up 78% of the Kingdom's population, know this island polity as Arkadija, their ancient homeland. After the Arkadī-Sylvan War, the island was rechristened as Kaiserwerder ("Kaiser's island"), to humiliate the native people and to pay tribute to Kaiser Peter I. The Dryads of the Isle live as serfs to Elven lords, working in the parts of the island that are not covered by peat bogs, growing barley, wheat, and potatoes. The other 22% of the people in the Kingdom are Elves, mostly being Ritters and Hanseatics, but there is a small number of Elven Thralls who work the land next to the Dryads, though even these serfs look down on Arkadija's children.   The Mercantile Free Cities of Strand and Meerfestung have almost the entirely same function (trade) but have very different areas of influence. Strand's location makes it easy to trade with the Western nations of Sahul, as well as Lievonija, as it is near to the Tengese ports and is located within a bay sheltered from the rest of the coast's boggy temperament. On the other hand, Meerfestung is right in the middle of the Nereid Sea, making trade with Dourado and Eastern Sahul incredibly easy.   Sylstadt is an incredibly beautiful city, located right on top of the Syl River and right on the banks of the Syl Lake. It was built right after the reunification of Sylvania by the greatest architects and city planners the reformed Empire had to offer. The streets crisscross between pristine forest parks, and while this is a common trait among all Sylvan cities, the massive scale of Sylstadt makes it the ideal capital, for it inspires both power and beauty.   There also exists the Reichsprotektorat von Reinhardland (Protectorate of Reynardland). These are the Reynard lands conquered by the Sylvan Empire during the so-called "Little War", and though called a protectorate, these lands have been completely subsumed into the Sylvan political system. As to encourage Elven settlement in the region and to protect Imperial interests here, it had not been formed into a Kingdom, and instead is governed by a Reichsprotektor appointed by the Kaiser, whose job is more or less the same as a King's, except that he can be removed at any time and that the nobles who own land within the Reichsprotektorat only have feudal obligations to the Kaiser (a great selling point for migration). Indeed, the land within Reinhardland has been divided amongst various minor nobles to hold as their fiefs, and the Reynards within the territory (who only make up 40% of the region due to a combination of Elven settlement in the rather temperate and fertile region and the flight of the native population) have been made into serfs.

The Reichswehr (the name for the Sylvan Armed Forces) have long been lauded as perhaps the best trained, organized, and commanded in the world. Due to its universal conscription policy, the nation's military is almost comically massive, but the size and modernization of the nation allow it to be well supported logistically. Even with the Reichswehr's massive size, each soldier is meticulously trained. Sylvania is one of the only nations to field battalions made up exclusively of skilled magicians, with most other nations simply integrating them into other battle groups. While Sylvania does this most of the time, it also employs special forces, the most famed of these being the "Imperial Stormtroopers", a regiment made up of electromancers that gained its name during the War of Two Empires and that has recently made many parade appearances: always being right behind the Emperor's carriage. The only real issue (though it is a big one) with the Sylvan Armed Forces is that commoners cannot hold any rank above that of a Major. This, and the militaristic culture of the Elven upper class, means that the High Command is dominated by the gentry, most of whom are hesitant to adopt new tactics and strategies.   If a commoner is absolutely taken with military life but wishes to reach a higher rank, they can always join the Landsknecht. The history of these starfish hat wearing "servants of the land" dates back to the earliest days of the Caste System. Within the confines of the Elven Caste System, the local nobility is disallowed from raising their own armies, so to defend their land and settle their disputes, they would hire mercenaries. Even today, it is common for Elven nobles to hire Landsknecht companies to be their personal bodyguard force or to use them as a special task force to apprehend especially dangerous criminals or do the noble's dirty work. The greatest draw of the Landsknecht, though, is that they can legally accept and keep those of all Castes indefinitely, offering a rare chance for Thralls to escape a life in the fields, although most companies require a fairly high fee to be paid before one can join, so as to keep out undesirables.

There is a stark urban-rural divide within Sylvania, due almost entirely to the system of serfdom. Even while railroads and telegraph lines connect nearly the entire nation, the Thralls of the Empire are almost all relegated to quiet poverty. While they can read and are educated, they are seen less as Elves and more as economic assets, so their schools, hospitals, and most other things are horrible compared to those found in the glittering and forested cities of the Kaiserreich. This all goes without mentioning that Thralls are not even free to leave their bonded land without permission from their lord, nor are they able to seek the economic opportunities those of other Castes are allowed. Of course, many in the cities are poor as well, but worker protections there are much more stringent, investments into infrastructure and social services are much more regular, and the Hanseatics that populate the urban centers at least have some social mobility that the Thralls have none of.   Furthermore, mechanization has begun to strain the serf class and their relationship with the Ritters. One Thrall with a traction engine can do the work of fifty without them, so as the country mechanizes, Ritters are forced to risk losing their fortunes by not getting with the times and allowing competitors to get a leg up, or risk losing their fortune due to having to pay Thralls who do not have any work to do. One can imagine the shock of a Sylstadtian bureaucrat when a smallholding noble out of Hasetorf reports that he has 50 domestic servants, more or less being forced to bring the field laborers into his manor just to give them something to do. But, this is merely an obvious system of a greater problem: that of an ancient, unchanging system colliding with a world that shall leave it behind no matter how hard the Ritters try to stop it.   However, as stated before, Sylvania is a modern nation. Even the most squalid areas have telegraph connection to the outside world and are seldom very far from a railroad. The cities and their surrounding areas are, of course, electrified, but like with all nations, most rural areas still use candles and sunlight, although the Kaiserreich's electrical grids are expanding.

The official religion of the Sylvan Empire is that of Commonalism, with the Kaiserreich's government not officially supporting any denomination. However, like most of the nation, the Imperial Family belongs to the Temple of Engelfurt, along with all Kings (even those of Abendufer and Neustein, in which the majority belongs to the Temple of the Process).

All the world is subject to Sylvania. As of the Advanced Steam Age, the Kaiserreich is the sole world power and hegemon over Ecumene. All other nations must pay lip service and respect Sylvan commerce, lest they face the dragon's wrath. Even their historical rivals are now "friendly" to the Elven state, paying the tariffs the Empire has placed on foreign goods and daring not to raise a finger against them.   However, the Sylvan Empire is not without favorites. Dourado, Meridie, and Sylvania make up a now 40-year-old axis of trade and goodwill. The Nereid Republics have always had good relations with their neighbor to the North, and this did not change when they united. Douradese traders have to pay lower tariffs than those of most other countries, and the Golden Republic welcomes all with coin anyways. Meridie, though, is perhaps the Empire's closest friend. The Young Commonwealth supplies Sylvania with thousands of tons of cash crops, and in return, Sylvan investors fund the ongoing Meridien industrialization program and Sylvan officers train the Free Meridien Armed Forces. Of course, to continue this relationship, the sons of slaves have had to turn a blind eye to Sylvan serfdom, but what are morals when profits are rising?   The secessionist states of Lievonija, Qadjik, and Dyffryu are also friendly to Sylstadt. Their growing economies, both agricultural and industrial, are tantalizing to the Sylvans, and the Commonalist brotherhood the Sylvans, Dyffryians, and Qadjiki all share help to foster goodwill. While not unfriendly, the Sylvans are not entirely trusting of the Imperial Union State or Tellus. Trade has resumed and even gone beyond what it was like prior to the War, and while most experts agree that the Shakdvipi has given up any ambitions of reclaiming the old Empire, Tellusian revanchism is incredibly concerning to all parties.