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Map of the Pershamon Empire and Surrounding Environs
The Pershamon Empire occupies a vast area of gently rolling hills, covered by grasslands, small forests, and marshes in the south. The northern edge of the Empire is the great Vedayanta River, running from the Farspar Mountains to the sea. Beyond lies the Great Steppes, an ocean of grass inhabited by nomads, dinosaurs, and great herds of bison. The eastern frontier is the Farspar Mountain Range, which divides the continent in half. The northern part of the Empire is cooler and drier, mostly grasslands. The central part is more forested, and more heavily populated. The southern lowlands are wetter, semi-tropical in nature, with extensive marshes. The Empire can be divided into major parts, corresponding to cultural and geographic regions. Each of these regions is divided into a myriad of provinces, districts, and autonomous domains.Eastern Marches is a collective term for the countless small feudal holdings that stretch the entire length of the eastern border of the Pershamon Empire, from north to south. These mountainous lands are divided up into parcels of land, each held in fiefdom from the Empire directly. In exchange for taxes and military service, the "Mountain Lords" who hold these lands are granted great autonomy and prestige. They are regarded as great warriors, and are often called upon to put down slave revolts elsewhere in the empire. "Mountain Lords" tend to fight in a more Keller style, relying on shock combat and heavy armor rather than slashing cavalry attacks.
Kalmah and the Imperial Heart are the urbanized core of the Empire. It is covered with an extensive road net, and dotted with small towns and farming villages, and a vast irrigation network. The capital city is Kalmah, a vast walled metroplex with over a million residents, possibly the greatest metropolitan area on Aestas. This is the location of the "Summit of Majesty", an enormous white marble complex that is home to the Imperial family and much of the central government. Kalmah has the largest harbor in the known world, and most of the foundries in the Pershamon Empire. The second most important city in the region is Susa, the Pershamon end of the Greater Farspar Road, and the gateway for most contact with the Keller Lands.
The Long Sea Coast and Param Island are both densely populated with towns and villages, primarily centered around fishing and trade. It is by and large peaceful, devoted to agriculture and shipbuilding. The Long Sea is usually filled with small fishing vessels called "dhow", and larger merchant ships. Piracy is occasionally a problem, as small villages supplement their livings by raiding small cargo vessels. One of the peculiarities of the Pershamon Empire is that all overseas trade must be routed through Param Island, where it can be taxed, stored, and regulated. This is in fact the primary duty of the large Pershamon Navy, enforcing these arrangements. Cargos and visitors are offloaded at harbors on the seaward side of the island, for inspection, then transferred to any number of Pershamon merchant vessels that carry traffic to the rest of the empire. Needless to say, smuggling is both widespread and lucrative, though it carries heavy penalties. In addition to the embassies in Kalmah, many international trading concerns maintain consulates here.
The Domain of Sursa is mostly rice farms and marshlands, with thousands of small villages and numerous small ethnic enclaves of non-Pershamon groups. The only city of note is Sursaban, located in the mountains near the headwaters of the Sursayanta River. By and large, most of the slaves in the empire are employed here, in the vast rice paddies and irrigation projects. The mangrove forests along the southern coast are home to numerous escaped slave bands, and are dangerous to travellers. Goblinoid incursions from over the mountains are also a problem. Sursa is one of several major areas showing regional differences within the empire.
The Vedanta River Valley is a second center of Persha civilization, homeland of one of the major ethnic groups within the empire. The two most important cities of this region are Dursan, a fishing and cattle town on Lake Vedayan, and Ecmen, a trading city on the Pershamon end of the Lesser Farspar Trail. Ecmen is well known as a source of Dwarven trade goods. Because of their proximity to the frontier, the people in the Vedanta River Valler are thought of as rugged, militaristic, and somewhat unsophisticated.
The Veda Sea Coast is cooler than most of the Empire, with a smaller population than other regions. Most of these areas are engaged in grain cultivation or cattle, and the residents are regarded as simple rustics by the sophisticates in Kalmah. They are famous for their fine horses, small swift ponies with great endurance. Ironically, they are closer to the Pershamon nomadic roots than others, and produce most of the cavalry in the Pershamon legions.
The Basma Plains are a region of hilly grasslands ranging from lush and green in the southeast to semi-arid further west. Some of this region is devoted to cultivation of grains, while other parts are more suitable for ranching and a pastoral nomadic lifestyle. Towns are further apart here. and the roads are not policed as heavily. The region has a frontier feel, with banditry and humanoid incursions remaining a constant problem. Despite their somewhat backwater feel, the Basma Plains are regarded as the heartland of the ancient Persha peoples, and they are dotted with countless historical sites, shrines, and ruins.
The Durya Coast is a moderately developed region of the Pershamon Empire, the last part to be conquered and annexed by the current dynasty some centuries ago. Several small cities and numerous towns are clustered on the eastern shores of the Gulf of Durya, each one maintaining its independent flavor if not actual autonomy. The western coast beyond the mountains that form the border, are haunted ruins. Long abandoned to the desert and its terrors, these ruined cities were devastated in the war of conquest and their people enslaved. Lacking maintenance the irrigation systems failed, and the desert now comes right up to the beach. Small settlements can be found here and there, usually home to smugglers, pirates, and outlaws.
The Ecmedad Marches were created in much the same way as the "Eastern Marches", parcels of territory granted to local elites along with title and position in exchange for maintaining the security of the Pershamon Empire's borders. Unlike many empires, when the Pershamon Empire hit natural boundaries of mountain and desert, it simply chose not to expand beyond them. Life in the Ecmedad marches, which border the Naraka Desert, is a harsh one. Water is scarce, the climate is hot, and incursions by nomads, humanoids, and all manner of terrible beasts are frequent. No major cities exist here, only countless small forts and the occasional town. The locals are considered only barely Persha, being unrefined, violent, and unwashed by the standards of the capital.
Society: Thousands of years ago, a confederation of horse nomads developed, calling themselves the Pershamon. According to their own myths, the Pershamon were chosen to establish a civilization in accordance with the will of the Gods. They were brought together by an alliance of great families, all of which had received visions that outlined their destinies. Like the Mongols of Earth, they swept down from the Great Steppes and conquered the settled lands around several rivers. The leaders of the Pershamon set themselves up in various feudal states, all paying tribute to the largest one in the central lowlands. Over time, this loose confederation grew together, forming the modern Pershamon Empire, greatest state in the Known World. The Pershamon Empire is a study in contradictions. It has a rigid caste system, but gender equality. It is militaristic, yet has well defined art, literature, and laws.The Pershamon trace their ancestry through the line of the mother, and traditionally, the extended family is the most important social unit. Most large groups were led by councils of the older women, the household heads. Older men joined the ruling council as advisors. Labor was shared equally among the sexes, as was warfare. Pregnant women were generally attended to by their husbands, who were exempt from warfare until the child was born. This basic structure holds true even in the modern day.Pershamon civilization is organized around the principles of its dominant religion, called "Deyamadra" (Great Order) in High Persha. Deyamadra is similar to Hinduism in many ways, sharing concepts of numerous deities, karma, dharma, and reincarnation. There are a great number of gods; most are concerned with specific areas of influence, and are similar to most deities. The greatest gods, the beings which created the universe (there are several creation myths) tend to either be genderless or possessed of both genders. Because the cosmic order is not divided up into the traditional male-war/female-hearth divisions, Pershamon society tends towards gender equality. According to Deyamadra, all people are born into a station in life. It is their job to carry out their destined role as best they can. If they do so, they will advance in their next life. Failure to do so results in demotion to a lower status. All beings, from lowest insect to the Gods, are part of this structure. It is the job of the faithful to find their place in this cosmic order and fit within.
This hierarchical view of the universe resulted in the development of a rigid caste system. Modern Pershamon society is roughly divided into "nobles" (rulers and warriors), "crafters" (skilled laborers and tradesmen), "growers" (unskilled laborers, farmers, and peasants), and "toilers" (hereditary slaves), with countless shades and gradations within each one. Nobles are distinguished by their long hair, immaculately styled clothing, and by their bearing of arms. All users of magic will be considered members of the noble class, though exactly where can be complicated by the sort of magic, and their relationship to the state. Crafters are the "middle class", free subjects mostly found in the cities. Merchants are somewhat outside the system, as it is their job to interface the various castes, though most people regard them as being at the bottom of the "crafter" class. Slaves, on the other hand, are not considered fully human. They are bought, sold, and bred as property, and may be disposed of at the will of the owner. Slavery is a major institution in the Pershamon Empire, and only the poorest of peasant families will not own at least one slave. It is considered wasteful to be overly cruel to one's slaves, but there are no legal sanctions for mistreatment. Slave revolts are a common problem, and are usually dealt with quite harshly.
The Pershamon Empire is a human-dominated one, with relatively few non-humans. Halflings are the exception to this, being present in large numbers in the semi-arid northwest of the Pershamon Empire. Here they live in small, semi-autonomous communities farming and herding. Dwarven communities can be found in the mountainous northeast, but they have relatively little trade with the bulk of the empire, tending to do more trade with the Keller to the east. Elves and half-elves can be found in small communities in the rural center of the empire, and are both highly regarded by the Pershamon. Orcish tribes are a hazard along all of the margins of the empire, while Hobgoblins and Goblins are a menace in the south.
Appearance and Garb: The Pershamon are a handsome people by most standards. They have olive to brown complexions with long, noble looking features. They have straight brown or black hair, usually worn long, and their eyes range from brown to blue to green. Pershamon eyes have a pronounced epicanthial fold, similar to Korean or Japanese eyes. To accent their eyes, Pershamon of both sexes frequently wear "kohl", a mascara made of antimony. Similarly, a complex code has evolved around Pershamon hairstyles. In general, the higher one's social status, the longer one's hair is worn. Certain braids are used to convey social status, stages of courtship, life events, even moods. Slaves are invariably shaved bald. Because the Pershamon were a nomadic warrior people, as well as having equality between sexes, their clothing emphasized practicality and mobility. This remains true even in the modern day. The basic materials are silk, linen, and felt. The basic clothing pattern consists of a loose-sleeved shirt which opens in the front, much like a kimono, worn over loose pants which are tucked into calf high boots. A belt is worn over the shirt, usually with a small pouch and a knife. This basic costume is added to and embellished extensively, but remains recognizable in nearly all cases. Pershamon clothing is almost never tight or confining. Garb intended to show off the wearer's physique makes use of sheer materials and open panels rather than form-fitting cut. Wealthier Pershamon tend to wear finer fabrics, while the poorest peasants wear coarse linen.
Arts: Pershamon art emphasizes literature and the spoken word quite heavily, a consequence of their nomadic heritage. There are few great Pershamon painters or sculptors, though many Pershamon mages work in the more ephemeral materials of illusion art. Instead, musicians, poets and bards are highly praised. The Pershamon have a vast body of literature, ranging from the core religious work "Deyarajmathat" (Great Saga of All) to the colorful mythic cycle of the Pershamon people, "The Epic of Hanamurdi". Pershamon music is detailed and multilayered, using a wide variety of stringed instruments, reeds, and chimes and small drums. The best known example of Pershamon music is the song "Puspawarna", played at Imperial functions. The peasant classes have a more vigorous sound, but still rely on strings rather than percussion. Pershamon art does find tangible expression in everyday craftsmanship. Pershamon goods are frequently embellished with geometric patterns, inscriptions, or small reliefs. In fact, most Pershamon craft is done with at least some emphasis on aesthetics, sometimes at expense to practicality. Pershamon clothing is often exquisitely decorated with beads, gold thread, and similar ornamentation.
Government: At the center of the Empire sits the Deyaradha (Great Lord), the emperor or empress. Usually the oldest son or daughter of the previous ruler, the Deyaradha holds absolute power over the entire empire. The current Deyaradha is Savima, an elderly woman with a poor temper and not long to live. Her family, Clan Banayram, has been the ruling family for the last eleven reigns. Beneath the Deyaradha, there is a Grand Council, made up of the heads of the seven greatest families of the empire, the Great Houses. Most of these families have designs on the throne, and many of them have been the focus of ruling dynasties. All authority emanates from this central point. The twenty-nine provinces of the empire are ruled by Imperial Governors, nobles appointed by the Deyaradha. These seats are passed hereditarily by custom, though this requires confirmation by the Deyaradha. The Great Houses measure their power by the number and quality of provinces they dominate. All control at least two, though most provinces are dominated by local elites. The detailed functioning of the Empire is managed by an extensive bureaucracy, organized mainly at the provincial level. Lower ranked nobles fill the executive posts, such as ministry heads. The appointment of ministry and section heads are at the discretion of the Imperial Governors, while the bulk of staff appointments are filled through a rigorous examination process similar to those used in ancient China. Examinations are given yearly in the provincial capitals. Young hopefuls flock to the cities after harvest season to take these tests, and are awarded rank according to their scores. Within the year, they are assigned a bureaucratic post. At the local level, most villages are governed by local gentry and appointed magistrates of the artisan class.
The Pershamon have extremely detailed legal codes, addressing nearly all aspects of civil and criminal law. These vary widely between the castes, and are harsher for peasants than for nobles. All laws are written in huge codices stored in all provincial capitals, kept uniform throughout the entire hour. While nobles are the enforcers of law in most cases, law within the cities or involving artisans or nobles is handled by a special caste, the "legates". These are nobles chosen for their wisdom and judgement, serving life terms with jurisdiction throughout the empire. Most are powerful mages, specializing in Divination and Enchantment. These "legates" are castrated and have renounced all ties to clan or family. In a sense, they are a special priesthood serving to enforce the laws of the Pershamon. The "legates" are generally held to be incorruptible, and outrank any nobility except the provincial Governors. Legates wander the empire on fixed circuits with a large entourage, auditing the performance of local nobles, and reporting back to the Deyaradha monthly.
Military: The Pershamon military is large, immense by many standards, but it suffers from the rigidity and stasis that so much of Pershamon society does. Its model and organization have not changed substantially in generations, and innovation is slow and occasionally deliberately spurned as "foreign decadence". The traditional Pershamon sword, is the talwar. It is the symbol of the noble class, a two handed sword with a 3' curved, single edged blade and an ornate hilt and pommel. The Pershamon Empire lags far behind in the development of gunpowder and cannon, due to technological and scientific stagnation. As a result, both guns and gunpowder are usually imported from the Keller Lands. Local gunsmiths and powder mills do exist in significant numbers, but they are considered inefficient by their Keller rivals. The Pershamon have a marked preference for enormous cannon, usually forged in the Keller Lands, and transported at great expense, and usually manned by foreign mercenaries. Military forces are built largely around cavalry as the primary striking arm, both a heavily armored shock cavalry and a lightly armored horse cavalry. The heavy cavalry tends to come from the nobility, while the horse archers are mostly volunteers from the various castes and ethnic groups known for their battle prowess. Cavalry forces are funded and maintained by the Empire itself, and in many ways they are seen as the basis for its power. These forces are organized decimally, led by officers called Pashah, designated by the size of their unit. Cavalry troops wear scale mail, and are armed with sword, shield, spear, and composite bows. Nobles, whether mounted or on foot, wear heavier "scale and plate" armor, and are armed with longswords and composite bows, among other things. Magic items are most frequently carried by the nobility, who make extensive use of protective magicks. This is especially true of mounted knights. In many cases, an entire cavalry cohort may be magically protected from missile fire, allowing them to charge directly into massed ranks of missile troops.
This core of cavalry is in turn supported by a vast body of infantry of various sorts - Imperial troops are often well equipped and trained, as are some of the house troops of the local gentry and nobility. Such troops have good armor and weapons, and travel with their affiliated Imperial cavalry units. On the other hand, many regional militias are made up of huge numbers of conscripts and slaves, equipped with little or no armor beyond possibly a helmet, and armed with spear, shield, and slings.
The Pershamon Navy is large and well armed, but technologically backwards. Having vast manpower but little in the way of technological innovation, naval forces are built around galleys of various sizes. Most are reasonable triremes, but there are numerous much larger ships. Naval warfare is built around closing to close combat so that Pershamon archers and marines can fight enemies crews directly; Pershamon marines excel at hand-to-hand combat.
Magic Use in the Pershamon Empire: In the Pershamon Empire, magic is intertwined with both religion and the state... as are so many things. All users of magic will be considered members of the noble class, though exactly where can be complicated by the sort of magic, and their relationship to the state. Virtually all Pershamon magic users will have either the "Acolyte" or "Noble" backgrounds, depending on their origins. Clerics and Wizards are usually thought of as members of the noble caste, even if not so by birth. Commoners with the aptitude will be elevated to the lowest rank of nobility as soon as their gifts are made apparent. Sorcerers are usually considered reincarnated saints and heroes of sorts, and are highly regarded. Warlocks and other "unsanctioned" casters occupy a strange place - officially they are considered heretical threats to the universal order, while at the same time they are often quietly regarded as inspirational heroes by the often-oppressed Pershamon under-class... many folk heroes are escaped slaves turned Warlocks, often pledged to powerful spirits (similar to "Arch-Fey", but associated with the djinni. Classes which have magic use as a secondary aspect to their training are usually thought of as "spiritually enlightened" members of the appropriate social level.
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