The Conoilithian Empire

INTRODUCTION
The Conoilithian Empire is situated on the eastern continent of Aerevan, between the continent's north-western coast, and the Heinrikanen mountains. The land itself is known as Conoilith, which translates to 'Heroic Land' (lit. Hero-Land). With its capital at the coastal fortified city of Ankorien ān Riarond, the empire and all its regions is ruled by the Emperor of Conoilith, who is currently Arrian I of the House of Conoi. Its colours are dark blue and white, and its flag depicts a silver sword thrust through a crown on a dark blue field; some variations of the flag will have five small stars above the sword.

CITY-STATE TO KINGDOM
Conoilith had its humble beginnings as a city state, its people made up of the citizens of its capital, Ankorien ān Riarond, and the inhabitants of neighbouring villages and hamlets. Conoilith developed a naval subculture early on, with a large portion of its population relying on fishing, and had always fielded a large fishing fleet. As Conoilith's influence continued to expand overtime, the rival city-state of Karzon saw it necessary to remove this threat to its regional dominance, and began launching raids across the border. Conoilith responded by declaring war on the self-proclaimed Principality of Karzon, and mobilised its army, which at that time was made up of volunteering, self-funded warriors, city guards and militias. However, faced with the far better skilled champions of the Karzonic warrior culture, the Conoilithian forces were beaten back repeatedly by the unstoppable, relentless advance of the invaders. The Karzonics quickly captured and sacked many of Conoilith's villages, and soon were advancing on Ankoria ān Riarond itself.

When the capital was besieged, however, the Conoilithians managed to continually maintain a source of food and water, using their fishing fleet to catch fish for the former, and boiling seawater and distilling the vapour for the latter. The Karzonics, who had little to no experience with naval affairs, frequently failed to intercept the fishing fleets, leaving the Conoilithians with adequate supplies. Additionally, the defences of the cities repelled the Karzonic assault time and time again, giving the Conoilithian forces plenty of time to recover. The Conoilithians began to work in closely-packed blocks of polearm-wielding troops instead of the ragged groups of levies and warriors before, relying on a wall of spearheads to protect them from being rushed and cut down by Karzonic champions. Eventually, at night, a force of the newly reformed Conoilithian spearmen sailed out, and landed on the coast a few kilometres away from the Karzonic camp, and lay in hiding. When the Karzonic forces began their assault on the cities walls again the next day, the Conoilithian spearmen captured their camp in their absence, stealing spare weaponry. The Conoilithian spearmen then pushed into the Karzonic rear in their new formations, which proved to be devestatingly effective. When this was done, the Conoilithian forces remaining in the city sallied out, and the invading force was destroyed.

In the Conoilithian counteroffensive that followed, Karzon was completely captured and subjugated. Around this time Lord Rondrad of Conoilith was crowned King Rondrad I of Conoilith as well; Conoilith had officially become a Kingdom. The Kingdom of Conoilith remained in peace until the end of Rondrad I's reign, when after his passing, the king's son, Conrad I, ascended to the throne.

EXPANSION
Conrad's reputation lived up to his name; 'Mighty Warrior'. He began an immediate expansion northwards, with his fleets of warships travelling along and landing troops on the coast. The tribal villages and hill-forts to the north of the Kingdom of Conoilith were occupied by the Conoilithian army, and were re-established as towns and cities. The tribes which did not resist and cooperated with the Conoilithian expansion prospered; they were allowed to rule their own provinces within the Conoilithians' occupied territories, and their settlements enjoyed wealth and protection, such as Azeranen. The tribes which fought against the Conoilithians were destroyed by Conrad's forces, with their people forced into serfdom or slavery. Conrad's expansion northwards stopped with the establishment of Conoilith's current northern border.

After Conrad I passed away, his son, Ulfriān, became king. His reign was far more peaceful, and was characterised by the development of Conoilith's towns and cities, and the beginning of construction work on the Ankorien ān Riarond Citadel. He reformed many of Conoilith's social systems, and introduced Conoilith's first set of officially codified laws, and was also responsible for the founding of the Royal Scholars' and Alchemists' Guild (soon to be the Imperial Scholars' and Alchemists' Guild). Other than these, Ulfriān's reign was rather uneventful. Ulfriān was the first king of Conoilith to abdicate the throne; as he grew older, he made the decision to retire, and handed the crown to his son, Conrad II.

Conrad II continued the expansion of Conoilith, this time conquering land eastwards. Promising the serfs and slaves freedom in exchange for their military service, Conrad's army grew to be massive; despite their low births, Conrad ordered that the serfs and slaves be given the standard training and equipment offered to all other troops. With his forces mustered, Conrad II began his invasion of the Arjent, the most powerful tribe in the region. The Arjentian tribes proved to be a formidable foe; though time and time again the Conoilithians defeated them in the field of battle, the Arjentians were cunning and resourceful. The Arjentians resorted to guerilla tactics against the Conoilithians, ambushing them with archers and traps, while also possessing well built and well defended hill forts. The Conoilithians adapted, however, using field artillery and siege engines to attack the forts, along with deploying their own light infantry and skirmisher units to screen columns from ambushers.

In the end, the Conoilithians were at the gates of the Arjentian high chieftain's last stronghold. In desperation, the Arjentian tribes had gathered all of their warriors at this mighty hill-fort in the foothills of the Heinrikanen mountains. Although the Conoilithian assault was brutal and costly, in the end, the sheer might of Conrad II's army was too great, and the Conoilithians broke in, chasing the Arjentian leaders into the fort keep. Seeing that they had been defeated, the Arjentian high chieftain and other tribal leaders came out and surrendered to Conrad II, accepting their new position as vassals of the now newly created Conoilithian Empire. Conrad II became the first emperor of Conoilith with the capture of this stronghold. Despite his total victory, however, he was merciful to the defeated Arjentians, assisting in rebuilding their society and sparing them from serfdom, although they would not be allowed to choose their own provincial leaders. The hill-fort where the Arjentians had made their last stand became a major mining city, which yielded incredible amounts of valuable resources such as iron, coal, gold and silver to the Conoilithian Empir; the city was given the name Einanen. Conoilith grew rich, and something of a golden age began.

GOLDEN AGE
With the new wealth brought to them by the valuable materials mined in Einanen, Conoilith entered a golden age, characterised by the construction of many new buildings such as palaces, libraries, universities and halls, along with the expansion and development of cities, and the completion of the Citadel in Ankorien ãn Riarond. During this time, Conoilith also built a mighty navy in response to pirates preying on their merchant ships. With the level of infrastructure and the production capability of the Conoilithian Empire, the threat of said pirates was quickly destroyed, as hundreds of warships were launched and soon patrolling the sea.

PLACES OF NOTE
 ANKORIEN ĀN RIAROND  The capital city of the somewhat small but confident Conoilithian Empire, Ankorien ān Riarond is the pride of Empire. It serves as the residence of the imperial family, place of government and also Conoilith's main naval base. The port city is built around a bay, with walls inland and watchtowers looking out to sea. The Citadel, holding the emperor's palace and other key structures, is situated on a rocky cliff overlooking the city. The vast majority of the city's buildings are whitewashed and kept in excellent condition, with the streets and other public places kept clean and safe, and there are far more green spaces and fountains here than in the rest of Conoilith. However, a stain on these appearances comes in the form of the ghetto - which is literally nicknamed as 'the Stain' - an isolated district of the town where all the poor and rejected minorities such as elves are confined. The streets are kept clean by a vast army of labourers who are often from outcast backgrounds, and the city watch will not hesitate to use whatever means necessary to keep out any perceived negative influence from 'the Stain'.

AZERANEN

The second most major port city in Conoilith, Azeranen (lit. Blue Hills) sits further north along the coast from the capital. It is named after the hills around the city and along the coast, which turn a shade of bluish-green in the cool pre-dawn and dusk light. Although Ankorien ān Riarond is the capital, it is in fact Azeranen where the Imperial University of Alchemy is located. Trade is also much more free and more exotic goods and services can be found here, due to Azeranen's officials being far more lax and laissez-faire than those in the capital, who are quite austere and keen on maintaining a more orderly appearance.

EINANEN

An inland mining city at the foot of the Heinrikanen mountain range, named after the abundant silver and gold deposits found in the hills and mountains surrounding it. It is one of Conoilith's less grand cities in terms of beauty and glory, though is nevertheless still impressive in its own way, sprawling across the foothills and the valley where the main mine is situated. The architecture here is not impressive in an aesthetic sense, but rather in a technical sense; there are countless bridges forming a road network while stretching over the chasm where the main mine is located, bearing enormous loads every day, along with rows of houses built along the side of cliffs.

PEOPLE AND LANGUAGES
The vast majority of Conoilith's population is of Conoilithian descent; this refers to the inhabitants who lived in the city-state of Conoilith, and those who lived around it in neighbouring settlements, who spoke the same language and shared the same culture. These people make up around 80% of the total population, and dominate it in many ways. The Conoilithians speak and write in Conoilithian, although the vast majority understand Common as well. They are an immensely proud race, and believe that they have been blessed by their patron god, Arkulf, whom they worship. The Conoilithians occupy almost all major positions in society.

The second largest ethnic group in the Conoilithian Empire are the Arjentians. These are the descendants of the largest tribal nation west of the Heinrikanen mountains, the Arjent, second only to the Conoilithians themselves. The Arjentians make up 15% of the total population. They have a unique culture different to that of the Conoilithians, and have their own language that is only barely similar to Conoilithian, although this is gradually fading out due to their assimilation by the Empire. The name 'Arjent' is a compound noun, made up of 'Ar' and 'Jent'. This can be translated to 'Children of the Eagles' (lit. Eagle-Offspring). They often find themselves persecuted and discriminated against due to their 'dangerous heathen' beliefs, but otherwise mix in well with the rest of society.

Making up 5% of the population is an assortment of other tribes and also elves. Elves are heavily discriminated against in Conoilith, viewed as mysterious and sorcerous beings who wield black magic. As a result, elves are often outcasts in communities, discriminated against by both the Conoilithians and Arjentians, and in the cities, many are isolated in ghettoes and kept apart from the rest of the population. These ghettoes more often than not have an armed guard of sorts, either official or unofficial, put on them; very rarely are elves in the city allowed to leave these places. Nevertheless, elven merchants do exist, and ironically, often these are the ones who are well-versed in magic.

CULTURE, RELIGION AND BELIEFS
(NB: Only the Conoilithian culture, religion and beliefs will be explained in this wiki page; other minority cultures will have their own separate pages.)

The dominant culture in the Conoilithian Empire is that of the majority Conoilithian race, followed by those of the Arjentrians and other ethnic minorities. The Conoilithians are a proud people, with an emphasis on duty to the Emperor and the nation in their culture, along with respect, grandeur and protocol. The latter are evident in the prevalence of bowing in the upper echelons and military bodies of Conoilithian society, which is usually done in a stiff, short movement with arms by the side, with the head looking down at the ground and the torso tilting slightly forward. During certain formal occasions or when speaking to the Emperor as a commoner, putting the hands together first and holding them out in front of the body is also done as part of the bow.

The Conoilithian religion mainly revolves around their patron god, Arkulf, alongside numerous other natural deities. Arkulf, whose name means 'Northern Wisdom' (ark + ulf), is greatly revered by the Conoilithians, who believe that he gave them the gift of intelligence and civilisation which separates from the barbarian tribes that surround them. The Conoilithians believe that Arkulf is taking them under his wing as apprentices of a sort, and that they must honour and pay him for his tutelage through offerings and sacrifices. When Conoilithians pray to Arkulf it is not so much a beseechment of mercy or salvation, but more as a request for assistance with a particular problem they have, the same way a pupil asks their teacher for help. There are such things as places of worship to Arkulf, with small shrines being commonplace in villages, and temples in larger cities.

Other Conoilithian deities include a god of the sea, who Conoilithian mariners sometimes pray to for a safe voyage.

MILITARY
The Conoilithian military can be quite easily split into 2 main branches: the Imperial Army and the Imperial Navy. It can be argued that a 3rd branch exists in the form of regional militia, although more often than not in wartime these are incorporated into the Imperial Army. Although the majority of Imperial Army and Imperial Navy personnel are reservists, attending drills for a certain duration of time every year once they complete training, an active force of full-time troops is also maintained.

Conoilithian infantry can be easily identified by their blue surcoats bearing a small rendition of the Conoilithian crown-and-sword over their heart, and their tan, brown or grey puttees.

ORGANISATION:
A regiment of 2000 men is raised and maintained from every province in the Conoilithian Empire, most often from the cities. Of these, a minimum of 1 battalion - being 500 men - of active duty, full-time soldiers is maintained per regiment, garrisoned in the provincial capital.

Legions are only formed during a state of war and are situation-based units, made by combining numerous regiments assigned to a certain part of the campaign.

ACTIVE MILITARY STRENGTH:
IMPERIAL ARMY:

Total: Approx. 8000

Imperial Guards Regiment

Capital Regiment

Azeranen Regiment

Einanen Regiment

IMPERIAL NAVY:

First Imperial Fleet: (8 carracks, 20 cogs, 1st Imperial Marines Battalion)

Second Imperial Fleet (6 carracks, 15 cogs)

EQUIPMENT AND TACTICS (ARMY):
Ever since its war against Karzon, the primary unit of the Conoilithian army has been a force of polearm-wielding medium infantry. Almost all regular infantry are armed with a 'longspear', a polearm with a length in between that of a normal spear and a proper pike (exactly 9 feet, or around 2.74 metres), and armoured with a steel helmet, chainmail shirt and a large heater shield. Conoilithian army companies are deployed in 3 blocks of 40 men - called a war-band - which in battle are often strung out in a line next to one another, or arranged in a 'V' pattern.

The most common tactic used by the Conoilithians, mainly used against tribesmen or rival city-states, involves a steady, disciplined head-on advance at a quick march towards the enemy. Shields protect the infantry from projectiles, and the polearms protect them from cavalry. When the Conoilithians close to within a hundred or so metres, they break into a jog and then sprint in tight formation towards the enemy, polearms lowered. Often the sight of a rapidly advancing wall of longspears and poleaxes is enough to make enemies break and run, and in the event the enemy holds, the tight formation and the length of the polearms allow the Conoilithians to devestate the enemy in melee, fighting them from a safe distance with their longer reaching weapons.

Cavalry, often wearing chainmail or steel plate armour, and usually carrying either lances, longswords or warhammers, are mainly used to chase down retreating enemies, or to launch fast attacks on enemy units unprotected from their charge, such as archers or skirmishers. Crossbowmen are also used to whittle down enemy units with massed volleys in conjunction with the advancing spearmen.

In the event that the Conoilithians face well-armed, well-trained and well-armoured opponents (which is rare), they have been known to make use of some form of artillery, usually ballistae launching sharpened wooden stakes or rocks. Special units are also often used during campaigns, most notably skilled longbowmen recruited from hunters who act as scouts and skirmishing units.

EQUIPMENT AND TACTICS (NAVY):
The Conoilithian navy is mostly made up of cogs, their war-fleet led by carracks. Their tactics mainly involve closing in with an enemy vessel and then boarding them with marines. However, improvements and additions have been added onto this tactic as it evolved through the years; most Conoilithian warships now carry ballistae, intended to shoot rocks, wooden bolts or clay pots, filled with sharp porcelain shards, at enemy ships to cause chaos among the crew, or damage the ship itself.