Taldor

Taldor

Knights, fair maidens, heroic adventures, and righteous quests—these are the legends of old Taldor. But the once-powerful empire has fallen from its former glory. Now rival nobles battle each other with bitter knights and proxy armies for personal power rather than honor. A smoldering truce with Qadira again threatens to ignite into war, and Taldor's daughter states look down upon her with contempt. Yet there is still greatness in Taldor; a stone foundation under the flaking gold adornments. Sons and daughters of forgotten royal bloodlines hear change on the wind—but is it the whisper of greatness to come, or the death rattle of an empire long past its prime?

Structure

Taldor is ruled by the Grand Prince or (more recently) the Grand Princess, a hereditary title. The current Grand Princess, Eutropia Stavian, recently took the throne when the ancient law of primogeniture was overturned by the Taldan Senate.

Taldor has a decadent noble class, bloated with titles, and renowned for being short-sighted and lethargic. Taldor's bureaucracy is headed by the senatorial class. Much of the government management is left in the hands of the senatorial class, who constantly argue over jurisdiction, while fighting for position in the nation's vast and complex bureaucracy. Greed and lack of trust are the hallmarks of Taldan politics, with assassination and betrayal the preferred methods of advancement.

Unwilling to trust their lives to Taldans with dubious political ties and mixed loyalties, Grand Princes are zealously served by the Katon Guard. This hand-picked retinue from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings are handsomely paid and care only for their oath and duty to the crown.

Prefectures

The individual parcels of Taldor have traded hands countless times in the millennia of its existence, leading to an incredibly confusing jumble of claims of ownership. To standardize this chaos, the Lands Partition Decree was established in 1247 AR. The decree broke the empire into 62 prefectures and formalized the rules for changing the divisions within each. Today only 12 prefectures and two major provinces are widely recognized. The prefectures include Avin, Kazuhn, Krearis, Ligos, Lingian, Moda, Northern Tandak, Opparos, Porthmos, Sophra, Tandak, and Whitemarch Prefectures, along with Verduran and World's Edge Provinces.

Below the level of prefecture are the duchies; in their turn, duchies comprise numerous counties; counties are then further divided into baronies.

Military

Even though Taldor's armed forces no longer possess the power and prestige of the Armies of Exploration of the past, they are nevertheless powerful organizations. They are divided into the Taldan Horse, the Phalanx, and the Imperial Navy, and are commanded by High Strategos Maxillar Pythareus. The most notorious, however, are the Lion Blades, who specialize in subterfuge and urban combat, and are often recruited from Oppara's best colleges.

Culture

Royalty Taldor's royal class is comprised of dynasty-inheriting houses, most of which trace their lineages back to one emperor or another. Its members hold byzantine titles such as patrician, magister, proconsoul, mandator, exarch, viceroy, duke, and others. A large number of scholars in the Primogen Library keep and update the genealogical records, as each title has a subtle place in the hierarchy of the empire. In the history of Taldor, the royalty have contributed to the greatness of its emperors, but also to their downfalls. The Grand Prince can raise a citizen or senator of the empire up to royalty by bestowing a title and wealth, but does so only once a year in a huge celebration at the Imperial Palace.

Ranks and privileges

Among the numerous noble titles conferred upon Taldan citizens there remain several ranks which retain a specific function within the governance of the state. While the meanings and grandeur of these titles may change over generations, the current government recognizes the following noble titles in hierarchy from greatest to least.

Grand Duke: Ruler of a prefecture. This title is limited to a maximum of 62 grand dukes; 12 grand high dukes who rule the formally recognized prefectures, and 50 lesser grand dukes whose lands have been lost or subsumed by other prefectures over time.

Governor: Appointees of the Crown who rule a province. Many governors also bear the title of lesser grand duke.

Duke: Landed dukes administer a duchy within a prefecture and report to the grand duke thereof. Dukes who have not been conferred land, but serve the grand duke, are referred to as "attending dukes".

Senator: All senators must bear another noble title in order to be installed in the Senate. All senators may vote in the Senate.

Marquess: Serves as the guard of a wilderness or border region and typically has a standing army to defend this region.

Count/Earl: Both counts and earls administer a county within a duchy. These titles are generally equivalent in rank.

Landgrave: Similar in function to the role of Marquess, the landgrave administers an unsettled, but important, tract of land. Landgraves do not typically command an army to defend their region, and thus are seen as lesser than a marquess.

Baron: Landed barons rule large territories known as a barony. A barony may contain a significant portion of land with numerous villages, or a large city. Barons who do not administer a barony often serve as advisors to the Crown.

Baronet: A lesser assistant to a Baron who carries out many of the mundane administrative tasks in the barony.

Viscount: Oversees a portion of a county, typically a couple of small villages and their connecting roads.

Tribune: Typically serves as mayor and justice for a community, such as a village or a neighborhood within a larger city. This is often an elected position, though it may be conferred upon an individual for political reasons. Tribunes usually report to Barons.

Lord: A ruler of a specific land. Lords often report to barons, though occasionally they report to a viscount.

Knight: The lowest rank among Taldan nobles. Typically children of nobles are conferred this title first, especially those with military service.

Senatorial class

Taldor's senatorial class consists of the hereditary members of the senate, the governors of Taldor's prefectures, and various heads of the bureaucracy. With exceptionally good work and long loyalty to the empire, a citizen can achieve a title in the senatorial class.

Social status for both royalty and senators was historically tied to their lavish beards (leading to them being called the "bearded"). Greater, more extravagant beards are a sign of a higher status and there was a time when the wearing of beards was limited by law to nobles. While the titled still remains, the practice no longer happens. 

The Unbearded

The massive underclass of "the unbearded" make up 99% of Taldor's population. They are merchants, craftsmen, day laborers, dock workers, vagabonds, soldiers, sailors, and so on. Taldor's crushing taxes and the policies of the ruling class regarding the rights of citizens keep the unbearded in poverty. Careful advances of key citizens keep their compatriots ever hopeful that after hard work and long loyalty, they might join the ranks of the bearded. Taldor's military and civil service usually offers such a way of advancement, and because of that the branches of the military (the Taldan Horse, Phalanx, and Navy) are loyal and strong.

In the countryside, most of Taldor's poor live as serfs, farmers, or craftsmen, slaves to their lords or prefecture governors. Even worse, when their lords or governors send their soldiers against one another, the poor unbearded are usually caught in between and suffer greatly.

History

The Empire of Taldor once stretched from the Windswept Wastes on the edge of Casmaron in the east all the way across Avistan to the shores of the Arcadian Ocean in the west. By today's standards, the Empire of Taldor was enormous, incorporating land that today falls within the nations of Galt, Andoran, Isger, Molthune, Cheliax, Nirmathas, and Lastwall. Since that heyday in the first half of the Age of Enthronement, it has suffered numerous defeats and setbacks, yet still controls the oldest and largest territories in the Inner Sea region.

Founding years

The people of this land were descendants of Azlant who built a small settlement where the capital of Oppara now stands. They intermarried with the local human tribes (whose descendants would become known as Taldans) and began trading with the Keleshite tribes further east.

Taldaris, a young military leader from the city-state of Oppara, was named heir to the grand prince of Oppara just prior to his predecessor's death in -1295 AR. Using his tactical prowess, superior forces, and uncanny luck, Taldaris then led his troops in a 12-year-long war of conquest beginning in -1293 AR that transformed his title in Oppara to a fledgling unified nation of city-states. He first attacked the larger cities along the Inner Sea coast that posed the greatest threat. Once he had secured their allegiance and resources, he turned his attention on the more distant settlements of the area. He then declared his new nation as the Principalities of Taldaris, ruling over an area that stretched along the coast from the southern Verduran Forest to the Jalrune River.

The Principalities of Taldaris became Taldor in -1281 AR, with Taldaris crowned as First Emperor.

The Tarrasque

The beast known as the Tarrasque rampaged across the World's Edge Mountains and into Taldor in -632 AR. The city of Oppara was destroyed in the process and although the nation eventually recovered, the wounds of the rampage can still be seen across the land.

Taldor's golden age

The old tribes dating to before Taldor's founding were eventually conquered by soldiers from the Empire of Kelesh in -43 AR, who founded the satrapy of Qadira and fortified the border between the two nations, sparking a conflict that continues to this day.

Slow decline

By the beginning of the new millennium AR, the Empire of Taldor dominated the Inner Sea region, controlling all of the northern shores of the Inner Sea. Its government soon bloated to the point where its byzantine bureaucracy numbered in the tens of thousands, and its territory was too large to control. Corruption spread throughout the government, and its ruling class became more interested in pursuing their decadent pleasures than good governance. Responding to this growing indifference, those furthest from the capital city of Oppara began to revolt. Taldor's military responded with brute force to quell these uprisings, leading to further discontent and unrest.

Shining Crusade

Even though Taldor had fallen from the zenith of its power, it nevertheless was still the dominant nation in the Inner Sea region, and challenged any foe that might usurp it. One such instance led to the Shining Crusade, a decades-long war fought with the cooperation of the dwarves of the Kingdom of Kraggodan, and the Knights of Ozem against the forces of the Whispering Tyrant of Ustalav.  

Demography and Population

The Taldan people are a mixture of Keleshite and Azlanti blood. Taldans, by and large, have light brown hair and bronzed skin. Men of noble birth favor beards, while women commonly wear elaborate wigs; both beards and wigs are often extravagantly decorated. The language of the Taldan people is Taldane; the language has spread to become the Common speech of the entire Inner Sea region, a testament to Taldor's vast influence.

Taldans are decadent bon vivants, favoring rich foods, ornate attire, and jeweled accoutrements for even the most minor of casual affairs. To a Taldan, appearance is an expression of power, and a keen sense of fashion represents a keen mind. Their appreciation for the arts extends beyond fashion and painting, many Taldans dabbling in wizardry, dueling, and the murky strategies of politics and war. A Taldan mind, when raised to ire, is a dangerous thing, and Taldans believe that the rest of the Inner Sea is soon to receive a painful reminder of this timeless fact.

The wealth, decadence and the importance of political maneuvers to the royal and senatorial classes have made many costly and extravagant items popular. Some examples include magical transports like the pendulate divan of Emperor Fortigré, soaring cathedra, or talisman of the summoned steed; magical augmentation to one's appearance like the costume bureau or philanderous compact; or aids to the machinations of the social climbers like the missive stone, ring of the sublime, raucous canard, and gossip glass.

Fauna

After millennia of settlement, the heartland of Taldor is largely free of dangerous beasts and monsters, although the druid-controlled Verduran forest is still home to gnomes, ettercaps, and numerous fey. The Fog Peaks on the border with Galt are home to numerous giants and thunderbirds who occasionally present a threat, while orcs make raids from their lairs in the World's Edge Mountains.

Territories

Taldor was once a land filled with lush forests but all that remains of the original woodlands is the druid-protected Verduran Forest in the northwest. Elsewhere, the trees have been replaced by grasslands and low scrub growth, that in the southern part of the country can generate tumblefires. During the height of the empire, much of this expanse was populated by small settlements, each interconnected by a series of roads and canals. With Taldor's decline, however, many of these small communities have been abandoned. Roads have been reclaimed by nature, and the canal system has fallen into disrepair.

Major geographical features act as natural boundaries between the empire and its neighbors. To the north the Fog Peaks serve to divide Taldor from the nation of Galt. The Sellen River flows through the Verduran Forest, along the boundary of the empire and its western neighbor, Andoran. To the east, the World's Edge Mountains and the Whistling Plains provide a buffer between Taldor and the Empire of Kelesh. Finally, Taldor is separated from its long-time enemy to the south, the nation of Qadira, by the Jalrune River and the Zimar Scrublands.

The lifeblood of the nation is the River Porthmos, which has its sources in the World's Edge Mountains and winds its way through the vast grasslands of the Tandak Plains before pouring into the Inner Sea. The capital, Oppara, is located at the mouth of the river.

Taldor's natural resources include the towering blackwood trees of the Verduran Forest, the countless iron mines of the World's Edge Mountains, the olives and grapes of the southern coast between the Porthmos and the Jalrune, and the wineries and vineyards of the Zimar Scrublands.

Foreign Relations

Qadira and its parent state, the Padishah Empire of Kelesh, are hated in Taldor. Taldans watched as Qadira occupied southern Taldor for almost 500 years, enslaved the city of Zimar, put nearly every settlement in the Zimar Scrublands to the torch, and distracted the empire at a crucial moment with an invasion, allowing Cheliax to secede in the Even-Tongued Conquest. At nominal peace for the last century, Taldor now uses the Zimar Corsairs to plague all Qadiran shipping from Katheer to Sedeq, and both nations still raid across their borders. Qadira is eager to invade Taldor again and Taldor is ready to defend its border. Taldor doesn't dare to invade, but keeps a wary eye on its neighbor to the south.

Taldor has a complicated relationship with Cheliax and their relationship is one of mutual mistrust. Many nobles would like to see Cheliax wiped from Golarion's face, as it was the center of the Even-Tongued Conquest that shattered the empire. After the recent takeover by House Thrune, many Taldans see Cheliax as a hated abomination. For the most part, Cheliax pays little attention to Taldor, seeing it as a toothless, old lion and its leaders too foppish to be an immediate threat. Still, the Queen recognizes the strength of Taldors military and sees no need to break the tense peace between both nations.

Taldor fears the revolutions in Galt could spill across its southern border, and therefore keeps encampments along its border in the north. Taldan border guards have captured handbills calling the people of Taldor to rise up and shake off their oppressive rulers. On the other hand, the nation's endless violence and revolution is often illustrated as proof that destabilizing the social order in Taldor will lead to ruin, a sentiment most Taldan citizens tend to agree.

Taldor sees Absalom as the key to reinvigorating its empire. Given that Absalom has never fallen by siege, previous emperors often directed Taldan agents to infiltrate Absalom in the hopes of one day merging it quietly with the empire. This desire to annex the island has tempered in recent years. Absalom, like Cheliax, does not consider Taldor to be a serious threat. Indeed, the two nations are generally strong allies and trading partners, at least officially, and Taldor's navy helps protect the island from piracy and invasions.

Andoran and Taldor share a peace right now, backed by their enormous navies, but more traditional Taldans consider Andoran a part of the empire and the nation of freedom-lovers as a child who lost its way. For their part, Grand Princess Eutropia is disliked by many Andorans despite her progressive reforms, as they believe her ascension prevented a full peoples-revolution in Taldor. Regardless, the two nations have a cautious but amiable relationship and Andoren agents try to avoid pushing their democratic ideologies too strongly while in Taldor.