Imperial Culture

Since the 2nd Inner Empyrian War the Empyrian Empire is governed by an constitutional monarchy. The reasons had been heavy rebellion and protests within the entire nation due to the incompetent behaviour of Garudas III, the emperor of that time, during the war. People realized that its just too dangerous to leave an empire of such a size in the hands of a single man. So the imperial parliament was created.

The parliament consists of ten representants per province who are selected during elections all five years.

Although the parliament has the power to block the emperor's orders and to create new laws, it cannot legalise laws by itself. The imperial Constitution of Laws is quite long but it was written to make emperor and parliament importent parts of the Empire whereby none of both parts can rule the nation without the other one.

Furthermore the Constitution included the first written basic rights for all inhabitants of the Empire.

Provinces themselves are ruled and organised by a governor who is supported and elected by a small counsel of politicians who are elected all 3 years. There are no political parties in Assiah, although some politicians ally with similar thinking colleagues.  

After the 3rd Inner Empyrian War, the government decided to alter the military structure, so such a war could never break out again. Before the war each province still had its own local army equipped by Empyres' wargear and forced to swear loyality to the empire but mostly organised by the provinces themselves. 

Now there is only the Royal Army. The military was centralised and formed into a single organisation only loyal to the empire itself. The central headquarter is in Empyres but there are military basements all over the continent.

Beside all former armies, the Royal Army absorbed several other local organisations, too.

Today the Royal Army consists of following mostly independant elements:

  - The Basic Army is the original core of the Royal Army which had once been formed of local troops and made into a 

     single military force. Due to the ongoing peace of the recent centuries, the Basic Army shrinked dramatically. 

     Seldomly they are needed and even when they are called, they usually just have to support other organisations like the

     police or the beasthunters. 

  - The beasthunters had once been formed of several local militias and their task is to hunt and kill any kind of monsters

     that endanger villages or towns. Beasthunters are famous for their reckless fighting style and short temper which

     explains their bad reputation among the other military organisations. They are often called babaric and undisciplined

     although they have to undergo the same training as normal soldiers.

  - The police is the largest and most independant part of the Royal Army. The police is meant to save public

     from crimes and to bring those who break the law, to the court. Beside the normal officers there are also criminological

     labs and their staff who are part of the Royal Army, although they have no military purpose or education. 

  - The paladins are the oldest and most elitary part of the Royal Army. There is only a small number of them. Paladins   

     are absolutely anonymious warriors in old-fashioned armours and equipped with the empire's best weapons. The

     amazing skills and the unnatural strenght of the paladins caused several rumours that those soldiers had been magically

     changed. Today paladins fullfil the role of the royal family's bodyguards. In a few rare cases a small number of them

     had been sent out to support other elements of the Royal Army. 

The Magicians Guild had once been founded in the early years of the 7th century by wise magicians from Ondora.

Their aim was to organise the many users of magical arts and to create a centre of knowledge.

They founded the town Kaidalon and the guild grew to a powerful organisation which usually stayed away from any political actions. Nevertheless the Magicians Guild once supported Empyres during its invasion. The reasons the old counsel of Kaidalon once had are unknown but its pretty sure that Emypres promised Kaidalon political influence and financial support. Old documents give evidence that the magicians town had a big economic crisis during that time. 

Today the Magicians Guild organises magicians activities and magical issues all around the continent furthermore its responsible for the training of magician students. All magicians have to be part of the guild but there are no further consequences beside giving information about job and home. Although technology has replaced magicians in many parts of daily life, they are still a powerful, highly respected and very necessary group.

Normal magicians work within politics, science, criminology, the military and many other areas where a flexible human mind is needed. Doctors and surgeons also belong to the Magicians Guild. Medical magic is a very important part of Assiah's history and so all kind of medics must have a magical training beside the medical one. Alchemists are also part of the guild although they do not have to study in Kaidalon since their profession is quite different from normal magicians' work. 

Everyone who wants to become a magician must study in the Great Academy for Magical Arts in Kaidalon.

The student must at least study 8 years, 5 if he had visited a magic school before his gradutation. Those private schools are not seldome and combine a normal high school with basic, magical schooling.   

After successfully passing the final tests the student is given the title of a Wizard.  As a Wizard the young magicians have finished their training and may go on and work as professional magicians or further study in another direction like medicine or runemagic. Additionally a wizard can decide to train his skills for more 7 years. If he passes his final exams again he will be given the title of a Magus. Magi are highly respected magicians and may work as teachers within the academy or magic-schools or go into politics. A Magus can be given the title of a High Magus for extraordinary performances or other evidences for amazing wisdom and skills. 

Beside Wizards, Magi and High Magi there are also Warlocks and Arch Mages.

There are not many Warlocks anymore. They are Wizards who have joined the Royal Army and have undergone a special training. They are excellent fighters and possess very destructive magical skills or spells to support their comrades.

Most Warlocks belong to the beasthunters. Arch Mages are political High Magi. Each province has one Arch Mage. Those highly respected beings respresent the connection between the Magicians Guild and the empire and usually function as advisers of the local governors.

Regena is the largest and most popular aid organisation in Assiah. It has been founded by Harlev Div D'aemon, the great-great-grandfather of its current leader Apep Div D'aemon

Regena supports and cares for transformed people. It has many care-stations and local HQs who are organised by its major HQ in Ellyras. Beside several therapies for transformees and demon victims who cannot mentally deal with their alterations or have to learn how to handle their new bodyparts, there are also medical offices, residential establisments and hundres of caregiver who care for transformees who cannot live alone anymore.

Its  no secret that most caregivers are male singles who hope to find a cute girl to fall in love with. Nevertheless Regena strictly controles its workers and takes care that here is no missuse. With success. Up to now there had never been any affairs within this organisation.

Harlev's greatest inspiration for Regena's creation was probably the old knightly order of the Ondorian Thorinters which similarly cared for transformed people like Regena today, from 730 until 2105. But the order wasn't able to keep active in the 22nd century due to financial problems and vanished.

Freyan Culture

Unlike the empire, there is not much special to explain about the cultures within Frya's Realm.

The influence and support of the Great Demoness caused the society to slow down. For centuries there have neither been military, political nor scientifical ambitions. Freya's Realm has no army and no complex political structures. All technological devices and modern comforts have been importet from the empire, same counts for modern lifestyle and a few public facilities like a modernized police and hospitals. The reason for this lack of development is at the same time the only unique feature of the Freyan Culture - the role of the demons.

Although Freya is somehow the queen of her realm and her words are law, most political decision are in the hands of small local councils. Therefore she and her avatars have the roles of patrons. Each town or community is protected by one demon. Those avatars are meant to protect the people against all sorts of dangers and care for a good harvest.

Furthermore they are advisers for the local coucils and are the highest medical authority. They are living symbols of Freya's connection to her people. They are content, cheerful folks and love, even worship their demonic patrons. Freya's Realm has many holidays and its jolly, almost orgy-like celebrations are famous among the entire continent.

 

Kriss -	The empire's Money currency. Named by the first emperor's oldest daughter.	Playing-Demon -	The probably most popular erotic magazine within the Empire. It only features transformed women.
Demon Essence -	A rare and valuable  alchemical resource made of a demon's bodiliy fluids. The substance can cause random mutations.	Mana -	A mysterious energy which covers the entire planet. Its the source of all magic.
Demon-Bells -	A magical object which can imprison demons. It's very hard to handle.	Tara -	A very popular martial art which origins from Wao.
Regena -	Aid organisation wich cares for transformed people and victims of demons.	Royal Army -	Military organisation which also includes the beasthunters and police forces.
Chroniclers Guild -	Ancient guild which secretly records Assiah's history.	Magicians Guild -	Organisation responsible for all magical issues and magic users.