Ivez Empire

The Ivez Empire, also known as the Kudon Empire, and commonly referred to as the Empire, is a Constitutional Imperial regime that governs much of the North of Ilosom, the southern continent. It came together over the course of several unification wars that united the Kudonal, Wissil, and Judina people. It is known for its strong military history, multicultural expressions, and being the home of the Religion known as the Twin Gods.

Pre-Imperial Times
The origin of the Ivez Empire can be traced back to the cohabitation of the Kudonal and Wissil cultures in the north of Ilosom, which is said to have diverged from the original Tirakot culture around 1200. The earliest states that existed in these lands were the Kingdoms of Kudon and the Kingdom of Wissil, which came into existence around 1360. The former grew in importance over time, absorbing the smaller Kingdoms of Atana to the east, and conquering the territory now known as Solwess-Duron. The Kingdom of Eghelham, in the meantime, managed to expand their influence over the Northern Olaban and by 1500 had taken its modern form. In 1550, the Judina fled from modern Makaro westward, forming the Kingdom of Judinovak in the fertile Greswak Valley. By 1650, the Judina had captured as far as Amron in the east, and Gluross in the west.

Unification Wars
In 1738, Ivez The Great became King of Kudon. His rule became known for the massive expansion and reorganisation into the Empire of Kudon, that formed the Centre of the Ivez Empire. In 1744, he declared war on Wissibin. He was pitted against the formidable King Alad. Between 1745 and 1750, a bloody war was fought. At the Siege of Tallawad in 1760, however, the fate of Wissibin was sealed. It was added to what was formed as the Ivez Empire. The Wissil people however were not persecuted: Ivez deployed favourable rules that respected the rules and laws of Wissibin.

The Judina saw the unification of the Ivez Empire as a threat. However, Ivez continued his expansion eastward, declaring war on Judinovak in 1766. The massive assets of both sides made the war a lengthy and costly one. But in 1774, Ivez marched into the capital of Dulurt and united the nations of the Judina with the Kudon-Wissil to the west. In 1776, the Kingdom of Eghelham joined the Empire voluntarily, fearing invasion and sharing much cultural identity with the Kudon to the north. The modern borders of the Empire of Ivez where formed. Ivez died in 1791, at the age of 83. His expansion formed the largest Composite State on Ilosom.

Modern Era
After Ivez' death, a series of capable Emperors reigned over his legacy. Delan I, who ruled over 25 years, created much of the modern Ivez State. He installed the Imperial Council as an advisory organ to the Emperor, and created the modern Regions of the Empire. A Constitution in 1808 created the Separation of Powers that governed Ivez: The Imperial Council was reformed into an elected Cabinet, leading the Executive Branch. The Legislative Branch became led by the Imperial Parliament, separated into the House of Nobles and House of Commons. The Imperial Court of Justice led an expanding judicial branch that was centred on just, yet punitive, verdicts.

Delan's son Ivez II became known for his tolerance of the cultures of Ivez Empire. The Kudon, Wissil, and Judina people all gained significance by investments from the government into cultural expression. Art, Architecture, Literature, and Music all flourished during Ivez' reign. Many notable buildings, such as the Arc of Ivez in Ulaka, the Theatre of Delan in Kotess, and the Theatre of Ivez II in Bliskot were all build during this time.

Mogak was best known for being the Emperor that led the Empire through the Industrial Age. Rapid industrialization, most notably of the Salnuk Area in Judinovak, led the way for urbanisation and new science. The Empire underwent much changes from this, as the industrialization was coupled with a Medical and a Agricultural Revolution that drastically increased the welfare and social opportunities for all. In 1878, Bliskot was separated from Atana to form a Free City by Ivez, due to the massive commercial value of the harbours.

Delan II led the Empire into the 19th Century. Trains, Telephones, Film, Radio, Combustion Engines, and Electrification fundamentally changed the Empire for the better. Massive infrastructure projects, meant to build both track, road, and wires, connected the Empire together. The Crown funded these projects, however, a large Constitutional Revision in 1904 made the Emperor less involved with politics. In essence, he became a Figurehead while the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister, became more powerfull. In 1909, the first airplane was launched in Levonkor, bringing another vital development to the world.

Ivez III was in charge when the disastrous Imperial War broke out on the Continent, between 1917 and 1921. The conflict was bloody and disastrous, upending several nations on the continent. However, during this time there was also much technological development as airplanes, machine guns, and tanks changed warfare forever. After the war, the Empire went through a series of reforms of the army so that continental conflict was avoided in the future.

Empress Orod, the first female monarch, led the Empire through some difficult times. Cultural identities threatened Ivez' legacy, but the Government solved much of it by granting the Regions far-going autonomy. Many of them became Republican governments, led by an elected Governor and a Unicameral Senate. Only Dovorat and Masajet remained Duchies, as did Kudonel, which was ruled by a branch of House Veitan. Even there, however, parliamentary democracy was installed. These changes also made the House of Nobles, indirectly elected by the Regions, more important.

Emperor Delan III saw further scientific developments. Television and especially Computers led a new revolution in communication. Starting in 1970, the Empire also took an interest in space flight. The first satellite, the Endeavour, was launched in 1974. It was followed by the first Human, Ginon Salas, in 1977. These developments were prestigious and vital to the Empire. Digitalization in the 80s, followed by the first mobile phone in 1988, was another development in the Empire.

Politics
The Government of the Ivez Empire was represented by the Imperial Cabinet, Imperial Parliament, and Imperial Court of Justice. The Executive Branch is reserved by the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister. The offices of the Cabinet are elected by the Parliament from among its members, and then send for approval by the Emperor and his Council of Advisors, four individuals who advise the Emperor directly. Both the Emperor and the Council are largely ceremonial positions.

The Imperial Parliament consists of a Bicameral system: The Lower House of Commons, and the Upper House of Nobles. The House of Commons has the most power, including the Rights to Initiative, Budget, Amendment, and the Selection of the Cabinet. It has 350 members, who are called Representatives, who are elected directly by districtory proportional voting, with universal suffrage. The House of Nobles has less power, having only the rights to interpret the Legislature send by the Lower House and vote, but not to amend them. It has 150 members, who are called Senators. They are elected by the combined Regional Senates of the Empire, who themselves are directly elected through proportional voting.

The Parliament has been dominated by the Royalist Party since its inception. This strong, Imperial-focused conservative right-wing party has often collaborated with the Conservative Party or the Moderates. For a majority, the houses require at least 175/75 seats for absolute mayority. The Government of Ivez is deemed to be capable and strong, with a good emphasis on the Rule of Law and a Federal government that can provide strong leadership throughout the Empire.

Foreign Policies
The Empire has historically kept a nationalist and protectionist policy when it comes to international relations. While there are Trade Agreements with most of the other nations, as well as International Laws on an array of issues such as Commerce, Refugees, Immigration, and Defence, Imperial diplomacy is mostly focused on internal stability. It has maintained amicable relations with the Kingdom of Tivostor, which it borders on the west. However, it considers both Makaro and Sulter to be historical enemies.

Military
The Defence of the Empire lies with the Military branch, which is known as the Imperial Armed Forces. This branch is divided into three services: Army, Navy, and Air Force. Each branch has a dedicated head, known as the Grand General, Head Admiral, and Sky Marshal, respectively. The forces as a whole are commanded by the CiC, known as the Imperial Marshal. The Army has in total 3 groups: West Army, East Army, and South Army. The Navy has 3 fleets: The Imperial Fleet, The Bliskot Defence Fleet, and the Levonkor Defence Fleet. The Air Force also has 3 groups: Air Force West, AF Centre, and AF East. The Marshal has much autonomy to command the Military, however the Minister of Defence has supreme authority over it.

Religion
The Empire has currently three religions which are endorsed by the government: The Order of the Twin Gods, the Worshippers of Ardendu, and the Order of the Sun. The first is the largest and most influential one, having many large temples in all major cities and the official endorsement of the Emperor as the State Religion of Ivez Empire. The Order has many members throughout the Empire and was also founded in Kudon over 1000 years ago. Since the 19th century and the industrial age, religion has slowly been losing fervour. More than 30% of all Imperial people professed to be atheistic in 1990. In the Judina, this was even more than 75%. Separation of State and Religion was determined in the Constitution of 1955, when the Order lost official status within the Government outside of ceremonial connection with the Emperor's belief.

Ardendu is strictly worshipped in Mustan, but the unique position of the religion mandated that the Regional Senate there condone their existence in 1944. The Order of the Sun is an ancient Judina faith, however with the conversion to the Twin God it has lost much followers and is now mostly confined to Levonkor. The Senate there followed the practice of Mustan and Volojaja in 1950.

Economy
The Economy of the Empire is varied, and offers much specialised areas. The industrial heart of the Empire is undoubtedly Judinovak, with the massive factory cities of Gluross and Paka producing many things ranging from plastics to steel. The Masak Mountains in Masajet provide many ores, including coal. The province is a massive mining powerhouse. From Froktos to Atana is grown much of the Empire agriculture, providing food for everyone. Sotofor is known for many offshore drilling platforms, while Levonkor is the fishery of the Empire. Mustan and Volojaja is home to high-tech industry, and is also known as 'the Silicon kingdom'. Eghelham and Dovorat are known for their forests. Bliskot is the main harbour of the Empire, providing shipping for much of the northern side of the continent. The Empire also has multiple corporations that provide a large and provitable business sector.

The official currency of the Empire is the Imperial Gran, symbol λ. Since 1972, this currency also exists electronically. It exists in denominations with coins up to λ2, and then bills from λ5. The Empire currently has 4 sanctoined Coin Mints: Ulaka, Bliskot, Dovorat, and Dulurt.

Science & Technology
The Empire prides itself on the investment it does in science and technological advances. It stands at the top when concerned with both communications and energy: free-access telephones and computers are readily available, while the Empire has multiple offshore wind turbines north of the coast, solar panel parks in Wissibin, and nuclear power plants in both Froktos and Idillek. The Empire is connected at large through carefully-constructed highways and train tracks. Electric cables travel underground through most urban areas, however are still reliant on poles in hilled and mountainous terrain. Both Ulaka and Bliskot have Metro systems. There are four International Airports: Ulaka, Hrafsam, Dulurt, and Bliskot.

The educational system in the Empire is adequate: universal schooling is available for Primary and Secondary education. The Ivez University in Ulaka belongs to the top universities in the world. Science in the Empire is one of the top priorities: the Cuartem Hadron Collider east of Shego is evidence of that. The Empire has brought forth many notable scientists who have made lasting contributions to the world, such as Microbiologists Coral Madem and Frago Volka, Physicist Klusko Dojok, and Economist Brewe Leada.

Kudon
The largest group of the Empire are the Kudon, the inhabitants of most of the Western Regions. This group is known for their religious fervour in the Twin Gods, their loyalty to the Empire, and their military prowess. The Kudon are often blond and pale-skinned, however these characteristics are not exclusive. The Kudon people also lend their own language to the official language of the Empire: Kudanal.

Wissil
Inhabiting the central Imperial Regions, the Wissil are related to the Kudon through their common ancestry with the Tirakot. They are known for their expertise in agriculture, fierce liberalism, and tolerance of other cultures. They are also blond and pale-skinned, but are more often than the Kudon brown-haired or blue-eyed. They are also taller by about 2 inches on average. The Wissil speak their own dialect of Kudanal, but it has mixed over the centuries with the mother language that it has become indistinguishable.

Judina
Although numerically outnumbering the Kudon and the Wissil, the Judina of the Eastern Regions are less ambitious than their western brothers. They are known for their natural strength and communalism. They are almost exclusively dark-haired and brown-eyed. The Judina speak their own language, Judinaic, however since the Empire they have adopted Kudanal and their own tongue is spoken familial only.

Eghel
Exclusive to the eastern Eghelham region, the Eghel are distinctive from their Kudon brothers by their long brown hair and beards. They are best known as lovers of nature. They speak an archaic dialect, Eghelish, which is almost indistinctive from Kudon except for pronunciation.

Geography
The Empire inhabits most of Northern Ilosom, stretching from the River Froktum to the Masak Mountains. It is divided into 17 Regions, 1 of which is the Federal District of Ulaka, the capital. Most of these Regions have natural borders, formed by rivers, forests, or mountains. The River Okemet separates both Mustan and Masajet, but also Judinovak. Froktos and Solwess are separated by the River Froktum, while the Kataremom Forest separates both from Eghelham. Both Bliskot and Ulaka are separated by the borders of their urban areas.

In total, the area of the Empire is 1.757.269 mi2, of which 8% is water. The largest city is Ulaka. After that, Bliskot follows first, then Dulurt, then Tallawad. In total, 178.5 million people live in the Empire, more than 30% of them in urban areas. About 8% of all land is urbanised, while forests claim about 19% of all land, with mountains.

The Regions of Kudonel, Judinovak, and Solwess-Duron are the densest populated, while the Capital of Ulaka alone has over 4.5 million inhabitants in its district, with more than 7 million in its conglomeration. This makes it the most populous urban centre in the Empire. Bliskot has 1.2 million inhabitants, with 2 million within its conglomeration.