Tassendrel

In the times before the First Age, the lands of the Tassendrel Empire were held by the Forgotten, the ancient dominant power of Tyrrell. It was mostly a land of early Elven societies, made strong by the powerful magical Leylines of the Field that ran throughout the region. After the Blessed Nightmare; the calamitous event that sealed the Forgotten in the lands beyond the Gates, the population of the region was significantly depleted. However, due to the strong Leylines and the high level of farmable land within the region, it was able to recover quickly.

The Elves of Hvel’Luthnor, one of Tyrrell's oldest surviving civilizations, saw an opportunity for regrowth after their nation was left weakened by the Blessed Nightmare. They established the farming town of Tasse’nor within the region, which grew in population as many disparate Elves flocked together to survive. Eventually, as their numbers grew, Tasse'nor began to expand outward and conquered some of the neighbouring societies that had sprung up in the wake of the Blessed Nightmare. It was here when the Tasse'nori first called themselves an Empire in their own right.

Hvel'Luthnor, afraid of losing the resources that Tasse'nor had given their nation, attempted to beat back the surge of independence. However, the Tasse'nori met them on the open field and their larger numbers and wealth of supplies eventually won them the war. The two Elven nations agreed to a truce of trade in the 236th year of the First Age, so Tasse'nor was recognized as the ruling capital of an independent Empire. The Tasse'nori elite elected Visori Arashin, their military commander, to be their first Emperor.

Once Tasse'nor had secured their territory and independence, they spread their reach exponentially, conquering the nearby lands of other Elves and some Lesserkin over the next two hundred and fifty years. As the Empire expanded and more powerful nobility was incorporated into the ruling class, political instability began undermining the Emperor's seat. The Emperor of the time, Vesnor Arashin; the famously weak-willed grandson of Visori, failed to keep the new court in line. This would ultimately lead the regions of Irdrol and Eri'es to form a union through marriage and eventually take Tasse'nor by force.

Vesnor Arashin fled the city as a coward and Yvrin Irdrol claimed the throne for herself, becoming Tasse'nor's first Empress. She renamed the Empire itself to Tassendrel, to further unify the unruly population, and began to conquer more territory. Under Yvrin's rule, Tassendrel began to weaponize the Fieldic Arts to a greater extent and also began to genetically mix different genera of Dragons to create smaller, more practical variants of the noble beasts.

Tassendrel continued to grow in scale through diplomacy and conflict until it finally butted up against its neighbor the Elruth Empire. These two nations proved roughly equal in these ancient times, though continued border skirmishes would abound throughout much of the First Age.

During the reign of Empress Hevelli Irdrol, late in the second millennium of the First Age, a dispute about lineage nearly tore the Empire apart. An elf named Eldam began to curry favor with some of the more reputable lords of Tassendrel, claiming to be of the blood of Vesnor Arashin. As his forefather was never formally deposed, Eldam claimed that he was the rightful ruler of the Empire. Many regional rulers flocked to his banner, unhappy with the more passive reign of Empress Hevelli, and war soon broke out.

The war, later called Eldam's Spite, lasted nearly three decades as ancient land disputes were revisited and fought over by generations of Elves, with many siding with their families over their land specifically. Eldam was a charismatic ruler and made grand promises about writing familial wrongs when the Arashin name was restored to the throne.

Empress Hevelli, meanwhile, utilized another tactic. Secretly, she hired an Elysian Cyclopes named Bivalia Melán, who traced the lineage of the ancient families throughout the entire war. In the end, Melán provided sufficient evidence that Eldam was a charlatan. Melán even found the actual heir to the Arashin line - a powerful but poor Fieldic mage named Luthus.

Using this information, Empress Hevelli recruited Luthus into her royal guard and used his birthright to undermine Eldam's words. Many of his allies left him, whilst his most loyal sought ways to sow more chaos to spite the Empress. The war would continue for another two years before Eldam was eventually slain by Luthus using the ancient sword of Visori. With all watching, Luthus than forswore any lineage he had to Empress Hevelli, officially ending the conflict.

Following Eldam's Spite, Empress Hevelli and her advisors discussed methods on how to restructure Tassendrel to avoid such a threat to the throne again, whilst still maintaining peace with the powerful and ancient families that had supported the Imperial edict for the centuries prior. In the end, they proposed the implementation of a caste system divided into the First, Second, and Third Families.

The First Families were chosen from ancient Tasse'nor lines, as well as those who had supported Hevelli throughout the Spite. The Second Families were chosen from more recently conquered nations, as well as those that had rejected Eldam after the truth of his lineage had been revealed. The Third Families were all rural Elves of non-noble birth, and the familial houses that had served Eldam loyally were stripped of lands and titles and placed at this level.

Once all the notable families of Tassendrel were accounted for, the Empress decreed that the royal bloodline, and the edict of direct heirs, would end with her. From then on, the Monarch would be elected from among the First Families, with each family putting forth a representative. Empress Heveilli was re-elected using this new system and ruled until her death in the third millennium, replaced by Tesric Anarcalin.

When the First Gate was unsealed within the Elderkin nation of Midboria in the 3036th year of the First Age, it was the Fieldic mages of Tassendrel that informed the rest of the Elderkin world, using the ‘Whisper in the Wind’ magical technique. It was also Tassendreli historians who first ratified the period as the Second Age.

Tassendrel and its people would be key players within the first war of the Gate, sending vast warrior companies to battle the forces led by the Walking Curse, the Dark Lord at the head of the released Forgotten host. They also fought alongside Elruthan forces for the first time in centuries, which ultimately led to a ceasefire in the wake of the war.

The regional level is comprised of many provinces which are responsible for carrying out imperial orders and enforcing laws and taxes within their territory.

The Tassals are forty governors from the nobility caste, who are directly appointed by the Emperor. The provinces closest to Sarkavilna are often regarded as the most important, governed by the wisest and most proven male members of each of the First families. The farther from the capital your province is, the less influence you have in the House of Tassand, which claims to be equal in its totality but often succumbs to internal politics and alliances. Tassals are responsible for attending the House of Tassand three times a year (every four months) and paying a regional quota to the national government. The regional government is also comprised of the Tassal’s advisors, aides, and minor supervisors, which all live on his estate.

(The Emperor is expected to “rise through the ranks” by administrating for smaller areas and gradually elevating to the role of Emperor. They often start as regional governors.) 

The local level of government often affects towns and estates, where mayors are responsible for collecting taxes themselves for the government. Mayors of towns are encouraged to tax their citizens by receiving benefits of tax reduction or exemption, as well as a percentage flowing back into the town.

Landowners who administrate large, rural lands often follow a system put in place where they can tax the serfs on their land in exchange for a tax reduction.

The economy of Tassendrel is characterized by its reliance on its vast fertile lands, the products of its skilled elven craftsmen, and the use of slave lesserkin labor to maintain its agricultural and economic power. With a focus on sustainable fieldic-friendly practices and maintaining an elven dominance over the nation, the empire's economic structure is hierarchical, with power centralized in the hands of the Emperor and the noble caste.

Tassendrel's naturally fertile lands have facilitated the growth of permaculture-style mega gardens, where forests are cultivated to yield bountiful harvests of both fruits and vegetables. With the aid of magic and slave labor, an elven landowner can outproduce most common forms of agriculture. Lesserkin slaves, most of which are human, are tasked with tending to fields and orchards, and perform the manual labor deemed beneath the elves. 

Alongside agriculture, sustainable fishing practices are employed along the Empire's coasts, rivers, and lakes, while hunting rights are reserved for the elven nobility to maintain the balance of wildlife populations. 

The sides of the Zuriss and Ryou mountains, as well as some smaller surface and placer mines, allows for the excavation of both common ore and rare clusters of Aurite, with Lesserkin workers and Tassendreli dwarves contributing to the extraction efforts. The province of Zatherrhel boasts one of Ciradons largest deposits of Aurite found outside of a mountain chain while along the banks of the Arashin River, and many a lucky fisherman has found nuggets of gold. 

Trade and commerce are fundamental components of Tassendrel's economy, contributing significantly to wealth generation and enhancing its influence both domestically and internationally. While not possessing many overseas colonies like The Three Dynasties, Tassendrel prioritizes trade with neighboring territories and has historically maintained a network of vassal states, including Voskgardia, Mitannia, Velruth, and Voronur. These vassal states share direct borders with Tassendrel, allowing for the seamless flow of resources and levies to bolster its hegemony.

Tassendrel's maritime trade is supported by its formidable armadas of sailships, which traverse the seas and establish crucial trade routes connecting the empire with distant Elderkin nations. These ships imports and exports a diverse array of goods and resources, ranging from Tassendreli textiles, Aurite artifacts, and agricultural produce to exotic commodities, slaves, and luxury items procured from foreign markets. Through strategic annexations and alliances, Tassendrel has secured footholds in the Ruby Sea and beyond, enabling the expansion of its trade networks and the acquisition of valuable assets from abroad.

Tassendrel's economy is governed by a hierarchical system that ensures the centralization of economic decision-making and the maintenance of elven dominance across all sectors. At the imperial level, the Emperor aided by with their councilors holds ultimate authority over economic policies, overseeing the allocation of resources, taxation, and trade agreements. The Forty Tassals, appointed by the Emperor from the noble caste, play a crucial role in implementing imperial directives within their respective provinces and ensuring compliance with economic regulations. Additionally, regional governors and local administrators are tasked with enforcing taxation, collecting revenues, and overseeing economic activities at the provincial and municipal levels. This hierarchical structure fosters a unified approach to economic management, prioritizing the preservation of elven interests and the perpetuation of Tassendrel's economic power.

Tassendrel is based upon a rigid caste system that dictates affairs and interactions between people of different ranks. The caste system is based upon the four roles in society, which are the nobles, artisans and merchants, landowners and farmers, and slaves. The caste system is rooted deeply in tradition and dictates the affairs of daily lives and the overarching influence of the empire internally.

The nobility are of the highest class and often command the most respect and power in Tassendrel. They are often born into wealth and prosperity and hold government jobs requiring intelligence and literacy. The second caste is the skilled artisans, such as blacksmiths and masons, as well as merchants, who live comfortably but do not have much power in society. They are the backbone of Tassendrel's infrastructure and services, though they often fall to the whim of the nobility rather than the state. The third caste is the farmers, or the common folk, who often live somewhat comfortably, but have almost no respect or power in the government except in mass. They make up the majority of the population and are responsible for the production of raw resources for the empire. The last caste is the slaves, often being Lesserkin, who are viewed as property and has no power or wealth of their own. They often work for the farmers and landowners previously mentioned, and form the labor class of the empire.

The Tassendreli culture is a culture deeply rooted in the principles of respecting and revering nature. It encompasses a holistic approach to life, where humans see themselves as integral parts of the natural world, rather than separate entities dominating it. Central to this culture is the belief that all living beings, including plants, animals, and ecosystems, deserve reverence, protection, and care.

The values of this culture begin with the belief that all creatures are present in nature and therefore, must lead nature towards a greater path and accept their position as a steward of nature. This is enforced in education, sustainable living, and the veneration of nature. The Tassendreli culture also reflects and interconnectedness between nature, and that mental, spiritual, and physical well-being is tied to nature. Respect for all life is another value, and making a change in nature should be only to benefit or preserve it.

These values are also reflected in the practices of the elven people. They often participate in community-driven sustainable practices, such as ecological restoration and sustainable agriculture, which also fosters a sense of cooperation and mutual support. Education and awareness about nature is widespread and readily available for any prospective elf, and the teaching of ecological literacy and the importance of biodiversity conservation is taught to young elves. Rituals concerning nature are often performed by important figures to bring wealth and prosperity to the people and the land.

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