The Holy Empire Of Althena

Territories: Junon

Government: The government is composed of five archbishops, elected as a representative from each of the five elements. These archbishops are the head of state. The five representatives vote upon the major issues facing the Althenian Empire, and a majority of three of the five need to agree on a given issue for it to pass.

The bishop representing Thanatos is head of education, the bishop of Mercu is in charge of military and defense, the bishop of Aidon presides over the economy and trade, the bishop of Dio is in control of construction, and the bishop of Volkain holds arguably the supreme position within the empire, as figurehead of the church and religion.

Population: The only city in which the Althenian Empire has direct control is Junon, which has a population of five million. Estimates of how many followers of the Holy Empire found in the rest of the world number anywhere from two million to as many as thirty million, depending on your sources.

The Holy Empire is comprised of all different races and elements. Humans encompass a small majority of the population. Psychic elementals number among the fewest, and air elementals contain slightly more than the average given the headquarters of the Empire. Elementals from Andriath, Ercus, and Desiach are roughly the same.

Armies: The official military of the Holy Empire of Althena is relatively small compared to the other factions. The Mercuvian bishop is the supreme command of the armed forces, in which he employs a small elite group of one hundred soldiers called the Knights of Althena. Volunteers, recruits, and intercontinental militia can bring the total number of the Althenian army to a potential numbering in the hundreds of thousands if need be. The main weapon associated with the Holy Empire is elemental magic.

History: The origins of the Holy Empire of Althena can be traced to a mysterious figure in the third century A.R. whom Althenians simply call ‘The Prophet’. He was a writer, who emphasized a return to the worship of the Gods, as opposed to the connection he saw between technology and avarice. In his collected works called the ‘Theomachy’, he wrote splendid tales of battles involving the Gods, with extraordinary heroes and divine aid on both sides. Many followers of The Prophet believed in his underlying message, of divine worship and Gods being involved in every day life. They yearned for a return to the glory days in which the Gods played a major role in worldly events.

Eventually, The Prophet passed on, but many of his followers took up residence in Junon. They were members of all different races and elements, but wanted to construct a monument to their faith that would suit all of their needs. They decided to erect a church of Althena, which would serve as the perfect figurehead for everyone as the mother of all Gods. When the church was completed in 400 AR, it was so magnificent that it attracted admirers from all over the world. Its allure was compounded by the legend that it held artifacts directly given by the Gods. Eventually the church and its surrounding buildings comprised an entire district in Junon, which was hailed as ‘Althos’.

Today, Althos is the center of Junon and Junon is the capital of the Holy Empire. The Althos Church is still regarded as one of the premier religious shrines in the world, and the five archbishops reside within the Althos district. The Holy Athenian Empire is a worldwide alliance of all different races and elements united under the banner of Althena. Their common goal is to reintroduce the Gods into the world, and unite against the avarice of technology and atheism. Junon is the only official city under Althenian control, but various groups of people loyal to the Church of Althos have erected shrines worldwide for the worship of Althena and her five children.

Will the Holy Empire expand its territory through peaceful conversion of the masses, or aggressively through force? Only time will tell.

Culture: As expected, the culture of the Holy Athenian Empire is highly religious. All five elements are fused into one to create a unique and diverse following. Althenians are also highly suspicious of all forms of technology, and even go so far as to shun its use. They feel that the advancement of technology directly conflicts with the spiritual side of life. Each year they celebrate the official holy day; the ‘Theogony’, commemorating the birth of the Gods. This event occurs on the day of transition from the Season of Aidon to the Season of Dio.

Advancements:

Magical - Extreme
Technological - Rudimentary
Major Achievements – World-class skill in the construction of buildings, mainly inspired by the Gods for churches and temples of worship. The Empire is skilled in the art of magical fusion for weaponry and goods in spite of technology.