Empire of Kythira

Empire of Kythira Imperium Kythirum
Flag
Motto: L'Union fait la force Strenght through Unity
Anthem: Rule Kythira Royal anthem: Viromaro Victoria
Capital	Helmira
Largest Province	Ardoragh
Recognised national languages	Low Riverlandish
Recognised regional languages	Riverlandish Redstonian
Ethnic groups	Heartlander Riverlander Camurian Alcanzari Arodraghi Redstonian
Demonym	Kythiran
Government	Absolute Monarchy
• Emperor	Coetzeeclan Viromaro
• Crown-Prince	Whazajottom Von Roterstein
• Imperial Legate	Publius Decius Agricola
Legislature	Emperor along with the Provincial Council
• Upper house	The Crown
• Lower house	Provincial Council
Establishment
• Proclamation of the Kingdom	Late First Era
• War of Two Kings	Late First Era
• Member of the Redstone Alliance	Second Era
• The Great Grief	Second Era
• Unification of Westeria	Late Second Era
• Proclamation of the Empire	Third Era
Currency	Kythiran Florynts (F)
Patron saint	Saint Coetzeeclan

Emperor of Kythira
Imperial
Incumbent
Coetzeeclan Viromaro since 4 AC
Details
Style	his Majesty
Heir apparent	High-Lord Whazajottom Von Roterstein, Knight of the Tower
Heir presumptive	None
First monarch	Coetzeeclan Viromaro
Formation	4 AC
Residence	Imperial Palace: Residence of the Emperor in Helmira Villa Altojardin: Guesthouse in Helmira Fort Summerhal: Summer palace in Alcanzar Villa Riverside: Palace in the Riverlands Villa Mar Soleado: Palace in Ardoragh Sandstone Palace: Residence of the Crown-Prince in Helmira

The Kythiran Empire is an empire, and one of two superpowers of Minecraftia. The largest empire in history, it stretches over four continents, Terrantiq, Ardoragh, Merceno and Westeria. The rise of the Kythiran Empire began during the Third Era, after the Minecraftian Dark Ages. It played a major role in global events, including the formation of the Imperius Reich.

The House Viromaro has ruled the Kythiran Empire, and its predecessor, the Kingdom of Kythira, since the Second Era. The heir apparant is Crown-Prince Whazajottom of House Von Roterstein, the current High-Lord of Ardoragh.

The Empire has the largest population in Minecraftia according to the Fourth Era International Census. It has a great diversity in terms of economies, ethnicities and languages. Due to dissident elements originating from the Province of Camuria the Imperial Kythiran Legion was formed, and thousands were exiled to the Nether and remote regions of the Province of Alcanzar.

Economically, the Empire is predominantly agricultural. It’s a feudal state, where the nobility and to a lesser extend the Bishops of the Holy Cee hold all political power. Though some government owned industries exist, including the Imperial Mining Company, the Western Colonization Company, the Helmiran Trade Company and Imperial Forestry Company, much of the Empire’s economy is focused on two Provinces: Ardoragh and the Heartlands. The former due to its large population and size, the latter due to it holding the empire’s capital city, Helmira.  

The Kythiran Empire officially functions as an absolute monarchy under the doctrine of autocracy, ruled from the palacial White-Gold Tower in the capital city Helmira. However, the policy of Provincial Autonomy, although only used for Golden Provinces with a High-Lord, has allowed for the Province of Ardoragh to act virtually as its own kingdom, though it remains under the influence of the White-Gold Tower to an extend.

History

The Kythiran Empire is a continuation of the Kingdom of Kythira, the first sovereign nation of Minecraftia, founded at the end of the First Era.

Primary Cities

Helmira - Capital of the Empire of Kythira and the Heartlands

Redstonia - Capital of the Peninsula of Peril

Marsadini - Capital of Camuria

Solleria - Capital of The Reach

Oldspawn - Capital of the Riverlands

Alralysva - Capital of Ardoragh

Kreonix - Harbour city in Ardoragh, major city and largest naval port at the Vestlig Sea.

Yrticil - City in Ardoragh with a river connecting it to the Dødehavet Sea, aside from Redstonia one of the most fortified cities in Kythira.

Provinces

GOLDEN PROVINCES

Ardoragh

Alcanzar

Camuria

CROWN PROVINCES

Riverlands

Heartlands

Peninsula of Peril

Government

The Empire of Kythira is an absolute monarchy. In theory, all power and wealth is controlled and distributed by the Emperor, usually in cooperation with other royalty, such as the Crown-Prince. This is colloquially referred to as 'The Crown'.

The headquarters of the Imperial Government is the White-Gold Tower in Helmira, which houses the Diamond Throne and the Provincial Council.

The Provincial Council is an advisory organ of the Imperial Government, consisting of the High-Lords and representatives of Kythira's six provinces.

Even though the Emperor officially holds all power within the Empire, he delegates much of it through Kythira's feudal system. Whilst 'Crown Provinces' are led directly by the Emperor's decree, the 'Golden Provinces' are semi-autonomous, led by High-Lords whose only loyalty has to be to their Emperor, but whom are otherwise free to rule as they please, as long as they continually deliver a steady tax flow.

Foreign Policy

Although the Kythiran Empire was instrumental in the foundation of the Imperius Reich, it has had numerous clashes with the Reich after it began to expand. Officially Kythira has always tried to uphold a policy of neutrality, and it hosted the first international peace council through the Embassy of Nations during the Second Era as the Kingdom of Kythira, and the formation of the Forum of Minecraftia during the Third Era.

Intially, when Imperius only consisted of the small island of Dorwall, trade was seen as a way to keep the tiny island nation in good standing with the empire. With the great eastern expansion and eventual formation of the Imperius Reich however, this relationship became more about maintaining Kythiran dominance on the international stage. When the Imperius kaiser decided that he wanted a fleet to dominate the seas, a step in the direction of making Imperius the greater superpower, a member of House Mace, the second most powerful noble Imperius family, betrayed the Reich, informing the Kythiran government about the new secret navy Imperius was constructing.

In response to this the Kythirans constructed the Mediori Fleet, and international relations became strained as an arms race began between the two empires. Although early treaties dating back to the foundation of the state of Imperius prevented each power to directly declare war on the other, several conflicts still occurred that only served to escalate tensions between the empires. Although small progress was made, including the formation of the Aqumis Free State, incidents such as the Dervich Incident and the Victormare Incident created major political rifts.

Today the Kythiran government has put a trade- and travel embargo on the Imperius Reich, though the ambassadors of both countries are still on their posts. The White-Gold Tower has made several appeals for negotiations between the empires, including holding a grand ball at the Kythiran royal summerhouse Fort Summerhal with the Imperius kaiser as the guest of honour, but none of these have been fruitful.

The Kythiran Empire, specifically the Emperor, has been a proponent of a Minecraftian Union, where Kythira and Imperius would unite into one stronger peaceful entity. However, with the current tensions between the two empires most work on the cause of global unification has been postponed indefinitely.

Internal Instability

The White-Gold Tower has to this date been able to maintain the unity of the empire, primarily through diplomacy and use of the Imperial Kythiran Legion. Disagreements between the Emperor and Crown-Prince still sometimes occur over provincial borders, though this has lessened over the years. Anti-monarchist propaganda has been discovered in the Province of Camuria, suspected to be part of an outlawed organization called the “Neo Federation Workers Movement”, who wish to unite the Kythiran peasantry in order to overthrow the monarchy and establish a democratic republic in the empire’s state.

Military

The Kythiran Empire's military consists of several primary factions:

Golden Armies

Each Golden Province, semi-autonomous provinces under the leadership of a High-Lord, has to maintain an armed force, which can be called upon by the Emperor in times of crisis. The Empire is filled with fortresses, armed towers and castles, available to be quickly manned.

Kythiran Imperial Legion

The Imperial Legion has two primary purposes: Suppressing revolt and the protection of the royal family. Their headquarters is Bear Island in Camuria. However today it has fallen far behind in both technology, training and organization of even some Golden Armies, let alone the Imperius Reich.

Kythiran Navy

Originally the Kythirans only had a small fleet of refitted Helmsdeep ships. During the Fourth Era, however, discontent members of the House of Mace, a noble Imperius family, provided intelligence to the Kythirans that the Kaiser of Imperius had begun the construction of a massive fleet. To counter this, the Kythirans began the secret construction of a new fleet, with the centrepiece being the Mediori Fleet, which consists of 38 Modern large flagships, 24 Classic ships and 132 Mini-Submarines. This arms race eventually cooled down after the Dervich Incident.

Economy

The economy of the Kythiran Empire is dictated by the Kythiran Florynt and the Mercenary Bank, the international financial body of Minecraftia. The Empire used to have a flourishing trade with the Imperius Reich, but after several incidents, especially the Dervich Incident, this has dwindled to a neglectable number.

Crown Provinces:

The Crown Provinces are maintained through budgets set by the Crown, financed through the taxation of the Golden Provinces. The capital city of Helmira, located in the Crown Province of the Heartlands, holds a state-monopoly on trade with all foreign powers.

Golden Provinces:

The Golden Provinces used to have their own dedicated state-dictated industry, with the Province of Alcanzar hosting the Imperial Forestry Company and the Province of Camuria hosting the Imperial Mining Company. In truth, however, with the Province of Ardoragh being able to gain more and more power, these official state guidelines have been mostly abandoned.

Infrastructure

Minecraftia's first large-scale infrastructure project was completed under the leadership of King Mercenary Hurdræber of Helmsdeep. During the Unification of Westeria, the Emperor of the Kythiran Empire ordered that his lands must be traversable. To this end, the world's first metro system was constructed, as well as new canals and tens of kilometres of road- and train networks.

Official Languages

The Empire of Kythira has one official language, though it is two regional recognized languages.

Official Language:

Low-Riverlandish | Based on the English Language

Recognized Regional Languages:

Riverlandish | Based on the Dutch Language

Redstonian | A mixture of Germanic and Nordic languages

These three different languages are a legacy from the Second Era and the different nations and cultures across Westeria.

Imperial Family

Kythira is currently ruled by the House Viromaro, a noble house that is among the oldest houses in Westeria, like House Roterstein or the extinct House Hurdræber. Originating as Riverlanders, they were the ones to first create a unified state: The Kingdom of Kythira. Today, the only known member of the family is Coetzeeclan Viromaro, though Kaiser Borous of Imperius is a relative.

The Emperor has named Whazajottom Von Roterstein as his future successor, naming him Crown-Prince during an elaborate ceremony in the White-Gold Tower. With the House Von Roterstein having notoriously bad ties with the royal family of the Imperius Reich it is a mystery what a Von Roterstein ruled Empire would mean for Minecraftia as a whole.

Culture

The Kythiran Empire is predominantly a feudal rural society, spread over vast spaces, especially in the west. This with some exceptions, primarily the capital city of Helmira. The society is split into four primary social classes: Nobility, Wealthy, Peasants and Slaves.

Nobility:

Within the Empire only those of nobility are entitled to own land and participate in politics. The noble class is the smallest class within the Empire, with the only way to join their ranks being either being born into a noble family or being elevated by the Emperor or a High-Lord. More about the Kythiran Nobility can be read here.

Wealthy:

The rich of Minecraftia are the only social class, together with the nobility, which is legally capable of owning land. Their wealth usually derived from trade. Due to this, and the importance of political friends in order to succeed within the Kythiran economy, most of the wealthy class resides in the imperial capital of Helmira, which is filled with over 300 luxurious houses in exquisite, safe neighborhoods.

Peasants:

The largest social class, these consists of the commoners of Kythira. They serve their local nobles, for instance in foresting, mining, farming or fighting for them. They have some legal rights, set in the Code Coetzee, but are usually not able to act on their rights. An excellent example of the Kythiran peasantry is the city of Marsadini, where mineworkers, employed by the Imperial Mining Company, reside in homes usually not larger than 4 by 4 meters.

Slaves:

Minecraftia's native inhabitants. Usually referred to as "villagers". Mostly eradicated through several genocides in order to free their villages for colonization by Kythirans, though some can still be found across the Empire, usually serving menial jobs. They have no legal rights nor protections.

Noble Houses

Kythira, being ruled by an aristocratic class, has several noble houses amongst her citizens, the most important of these being the following:

House Von Roterstein:

Though originally a royal house in the Second Era, House Von Roterstein today is the second most powerful noble house within the Empire of Kythira after the Imperial Family. After being knighted Knight of the Tower, Lord Whazajottom, the former King of Redstonia, was elevated to the position of High-Lord of Ardoragh. Later he was bestowed with the title of Crown Prince of Kythira, meaning he is to seize power once the Emperor ceases or steps down from his service. This makes Whazajottom's full title Crown Prince Whazajottom of Kythira, High-Lord of Ardoragh and Knight of the Tower. His brother, Duke Corspin Von Roterstein, rules the city of Kreonix in High-Lord Whazajottom's name. High-Lord Whazajottom himself resides in his palace in the city of Alralysva, but due to his powerful position, he also has a residence in the Empire's capital of Helmira, namely the Ardoragh Palace.

House Vinkhuys :

Riverlandish in origin, House Vinkhuys was the ruling house of the province of Alcanzar. The only surviving member of this noble house, High-Lord SillyJoey Vinkhuys ruled the well-defended but economically weak province from castle Verano in the city of Solleria, until his disappearance in the early Third Era. The Vinkhuys family was given their lordship by the Emperor as a reward for their services to the Riverlands, since they were the original founders of the Rebel Alliance during the Second Era.

House Agricola:

The House Agricola claim themselves to be related to Consul Republic, the founder of the short-lived Federation of Provinces in the Second Era. Today their last remaining member, though not being of true nobility, rules the Golden Province of Camuria in the absence of a High-Lord. This is Lord-Protector P. Decius Agricola. They were also a leading cause behind the re-militarization of the Kythiran Royal Guard, producing what we today know as the Imperial Legion.

House Wolf:

House Wolf is a young house, being elevated into nobility during the Fourth Era. They founded and were behind most of the construction of the City of Yrticil. The current head of the house, and ruler of the city in name of High-Lord Whazajottom is Duke WhiteWolfXD98.

House Hjerte:

Like House Wolf, House Hjerte is one of the youngest noble houses, being elevated into nobility during the Fourth Era. They are behind the construction of a massive palace, the largest the world has seen at that stage, in the middle of the Fjarthrond Forest. The current ruler of this house is Duchess Hartje.