The Empire of Yumea

You-may-ah

(Yumean People)

Overview

The Eastern Kingdom of Tannal.

Inspired by Imperial China and the Roman Empire, a big old empire with a particular fondness for massive, impressive structures. They also match these empires in terms of expansionism, nationalist feeling and a focus on internal control.

Yumea is a deeply matriarchal society, with a particular reverence for the Goddess Kiriel, who is thought to have given the God-Empress her divine mandate to rule. Each successive ruler is thought to be a vessel for the constantly reincarnating soul of the First Empress. This mantle is not passed down by blood, but by day of birth. Every time an Empress dies, the lands of Yumeas are searched for a baby girl born at the time of death who is brought to the capital to be raised as the Empress.

Due to this, the courts favour a long-standing sapphic tradition, with rulers often taking a favoured female advisor to rule with them. This reincarnation is one of the explanations given for Yumean expansionism, as the Empire claims the baby’s birth land was given to them by Kiriel, and thus they must expand as much as possible to find said baby.

Nobility

The current God-Empress, Idhril, is a Guidfolk. Her favoured advisor, Maril, is a Kalar who has made great strides in rights for the worship of “Household Gods” - alternate, personal versions of Lotheistic gods favoured by the peasantry of the empire.

This is a move that has strongly increased affection in conquered lands for the God -Empress, but has proved unpopular in the aristocracy. As Maril advances in age due to her shorter lifespan, Idhril’s advisors have been pushing for her to take a new companion who is more hostile towards personal worship, which has divided courts and people alike.

A movement has grown up in support of Maril, and fears of her assasination have sown significant discontent in certain groups in the empire. There is a potential for civil unrest if the public feel Maril dies prematurely.

For most members of the Empire, the God-Empress and her courts are faraway figures. Due to the large number of peoples and provinces the Empire contains, the authority figures the public will have most interaction with are their local lords and ladies. Regional variations in religious and social custom are common, and the harvest festival from one province in the empire could look entirely alien to a province on the opposite side. This is particularly pertinent when it comes to the personalities assigned to the Gods. For example, in colder, wilder areas of the empire, Naeliah and Diesya are depicted as capricious and cruel. Northern Harvest or seasonal festivals often feature the sacrifice of livestock and food in requests for mercy. In more abundant areas, these festivals often feature communal feasting, dances and acts of charity in respect to gods seen as kindly and nurturing.

Religion

The Main Religion of The Yumean Empire is Lotheism.

Although the multi-theistic nature of the pantheon means that all Gods will have regions where they’re favoured, there is a significant feeling of unity among the empire when it comes to the worship of Kiriel, who is seen as universally beneficent. This has not always been true, as many conquered provinces held on to versions of their own Gods through the worship of similar Lotheistic deities. However, in the last 50 years of Idhril’s reign she has taken a stance of connecting with provinces that had previously been disconnected from the central culture of the empire. A program sponsoring young faithfuls of Kiriel in poorer districts of the empire has been the flagship scheme of this policy. Promising young believers are given education and resources to build temples in their area, which has endeared both the religion and the God-Empress to previously hostile townships.

Capitol: Atalis

Religion: Lotheism

Current Leader: Idhril

Google Sites

Report abuse