mNo edit summary
 
(128 intermediate revisions by 14 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
The following information is drawn from the material shown to the focus groups at the end of 2011 and provides a simple overview of the Empire setting. Much of the detailed material is still being created, so everything described here is potentially subject to change, but the core ideas are now well developed and significant changes are relatively unlikely. For that reason we are now publishing here so that everyone who is interested can find out more about the game.
This is an old page whose content has been superseded by pages such as [[the setting]] and [[the game]]
{{CaptionedImage|file=Getting Together.jpg|align=left|width=600}}
==Introduction==
The game is set in a powerful Empire that is surrounded by hostile barbarians. After [[Imperial history|centuries]] of relative prosperity, the Empire experienced a decline. Internecine conflict and weak leadership led to several territories being overrun by barbarian invasion that an Empire focused on internal politics was ill-equipped to repulse.


==Introduction==
The game began shortly after the death of [[Empress Britta]], leaving the collective player base as the most powerful individuals in the Empire. Since then, the Empire has begun to restore the Empire to its former glory, and lay the groundwork for surpassing the successes of the past.
The game is set in a powerful [[the Empire|Empire]] that is surrounded by hostile barbarians on all sides. The Empire has grown in power and size for centuries but has experienced a decline in recent decades with territories along the borders being over-run by barbarians. Around a fifth of the territory the Empire controlled at its height has been lost to a series of incursions that an Empire focused on internal politics was ill equipped to repulse.


The Empress has recently been slain, leaving the collective player base as the most powerful individuals in the Empire. Their challenge is to restore the Empire to its former glory by regaining the lands that have been lost and to secure its future.
The Empire is formed from ten culturally distinct [[nation_overview|nations]]. Each nation has its own culture and customs but they are politically and legally unified. Although the players are all fundamentally on the same side there is rivalry between nations, with players competing with each other to lead the Empire and achieve their own goals.


The Empire is divided into nine culturally distinct [[The Nations|nations]]. The game setting will describe the geography, culture and dress of these nations. The Empire encourages a degree of rivalry and competition between nations, but forbids outright conflict. The players are all part of this Empire, competing with each other to be the most capable servants of the Empire in defeating their barbarian enemies.
A single religion unites the Empire. Priests of [[the Way]] guide their fellow citizens along the [[The_Way#The_Paths_of_Virtue|Paths of Virtue]] and wield potent political power through the [[Imperial Synod]]. They must remain ever vigilant against [[Religious_crime#Heresy|heretics]], [[Religious_crime#Blasphemy|blasphemers]], and [[Religious_crime#Idolatry|idolators]] who seek to undermine the faith and steal the Empire's destiny.


Events represent meetings of the Imperial court. These are times when characters can take the bold actions that determine the future of the Empire - there will be votes in [[the Senate]], opportunities to practice powerful magic and battles to be fought that will determine the outcome of the Empire's military campaigns.
Events represent the moments when the powerful and significant members of the Empire come together to shape its future. These are times when characters can take bold actions - political maneuvering to advance one's agenda in the [[Imperial Senate|Senate]], [[Imperial Synod|Synod]], [[Imperial Conclave|Conclave]], and [[Imperial Military Council|Military Council]]; opportunities to practice [[rituals|powerful magic]]; chances to make your fortune or gain a lucrative seat on the [[Imperial Bourse|Bourse]]; and forays through the [[Sentinel Gate]] - [[battles]] on skirmishes to be fought that will determine the outcome of the Empire's military campaigns or quests in pursuit of more personal goals.


==Look and Feel==
==Look and feel==
The inspiration will be drawn from the late-Byzantine period to the Renaissance era. We will actively prohibit costume from later periods, like frockcoats and tricorns. The Lord of the Rings movie, the Assassins’ Creed computer games, the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game from Games Workshop, HBO Borgias, the Game of Thrones television series, the Starz Camelot series and even the BBC Merlin series have all thrown up images we are keen to develop. The Imperial setting is one of “high culture” so we are excluding costume for players like the Huns or the Mongols that has a barbaric feel to it.
The inspiration for the setting is drawn from the late Byzantine period to the early Renaissance era. In creating the visual styles for the nations we have been inspired by some of the images from the Lord of the Rings movies, the Assassin's Creed and Dragon Age computer games, HBO Borgias and the Game of Thrones television series, the Starz Camelot series and even the BBC Merlin series.


The game is not a historical setting however, so the periods described will be the starting point for our costume and culture. We will look to develop them, to try to enhance the fantasy aspects of them, but we will also detail them, to ensure that each Nation has a distinctive look. The game will encourage players to wear the costume that fits the created setting and their part within it. We want to exceed the level of costume standards that Odyssey achieves, using a fantasy world inspired by costume, dress and armour from the relevant periods.
The setting and the style of the game has also been influenced by modern fantasy literature, especially the highly political worlds of Jim Butcher's Codex Alera and Joe Abercrombie's The First Law.  


==The Nations of the Empire==
The game is not a historical setting; history is just one of the starting points that has been used to create the distinctive looks and the culture of each nation. We want players to create characters and wear costume that fits the setting and their part within it. To help with this the wiki includes extensive information about each nation, the costumes that are appropriate and advice on how to create the right look.  The goal is for everyone involved to be ambitious and work together to create a game that looks stunning and sets new standards for immersion.
The Empire is divided into nine culturally distinct [[the Nations|Nations]]. Nations are not politically independent, the Empire has a single set of laws, but they have a cultural identity that is identifiable and reflected in their dress, customs and attitude. Each Nation will have three or four senators.
{{CaptionedImage|file=National Identity.jpg|align=right|caption=Ten peoples, one nation.|width=600}}
==The nations of the Empire==
The Empire is formed from ten culturally distinct [[nation_overview|nations]]. Nations exist to provide the players with their primary source of identity - in the way that players in other fest systems are Malathians, Greeks or Lions, our players are Highborn or Navarr. The game is organised logistically along nation lines, with camps laid out for each nation. Nationality has no rules impact on a character’s skills or abilities, because we want to encourage players to choose their nation purely for its aesthetic and setting rather than for reasons of optimisation.


Nations exist to provide the players with their primary source of identity - in the way that players in other fest systems are Malathians, Greeks or Lions. The game will be organized logistically along Nation lines, with camps laid out for each Nation. Nationality will have no rules impact on a character’s skills or abilities. We want to encourage players to choose these factors purely for their aesthetic and setting considerations.
Nations are not politically independent, but they have a cultural identity that is identifiable and reflected in their dress, customs and attitude. The Empire has a single set of laws that applies to each citizen, and each nation elects senators to represent its political interests as well as generals to direct its armies in service to the Empire.


==The Senate==
==The Senate==
Political control of the Empire will be through [[the Senate]]. Initially there will be around 40 senators, all drawn from the player base. The debates and business of the Senate will be facilitated and administered by our NPC Civil Service and Speaker. The Speaker’s role will be to chair and officiate meetings of the Senate.
Political control of the Empire is primarily through the [[Imperial Senate|Senate]]. Each nation selects its own [[Senator|senators]], each one of whom serves for a year before facing re-election. Senators vote on [[Senate motion|motions]] and make decisions that affect the Empire directly. The debates and business of the Senate is facilitated and administered by our NPC Civil Service and officiated by the [[Speaker for the Senate]]. Even with the Throne occupied by [[Empress Lisabetta|Imperatrix Lisabetta]], the Senate continues to have a vital role in shaping the future of the Empire.
 
The point of the Senate is to provide a focus for political conflict between characters. It gives PCs the levers to control the Empire - but in uptime, rather than in downtime.
 
==The Synod==
The Empire has an official state religion called [[the Way]] which revolves around the practice of the seven [[The_Way#The_Paths_of_Virtue|Virtues]]. [[The Synod]] is a political body and meeting place for the faithful of the Empire. It serves as the moral conscience of the Empire, but also possesses potent political powers supported by the [[Imperial Constitution]]. Membership of the Synod is open to all priests of the Way with a [[congregation]] (represented by a [[Resource#Personal_Resource|personal resource]]). The Synod is guided in part by the [[Cardinal|Cardinals]] who make up the [[Assembly#The Assembly of the Nine|Assembly of the Nine]].


The point of the Senate is to provide a focus for much of the political conflict between players in the game. It gives PCs the levers to control the Empire - but in uptime, rather than in downtime. We are designing an impressive set for the intense political roleplay to take place in.
The Synod has several powers including the ability to [[veto]] the decisions of the Senate, to call Imperial citizens before it to [[Inquisition|answer questions]] about their actions, and ultimately to [[Revocation|dismiss]] senators and generals it deems to be corrupt or unvirtuous. They are also the only body able to intercede with [[The Law|the judiciary]] to plead for [[clemency]] for convicted criminals.


At present, in the absence of an Emperor or Empress, the Senate is in charge, with the Senators voting on motions put before them. Creating an Emperor or Empress is the responsibility of the Senate, but is not easy. We do not envisage it happening in the early part of the campaign - becoming the supreme ruler of the Empire will be a long-term goal for players to pursue!
==The Military Council==
The [[Imperial Military Council|Military Council]] is run by the [[general|generals]] who oversee war and conflict with the Empire's enemies. A position in the Military will give a character influence over the [[war|wars]] the Empire fights against their barbarian enemies, as well as the [[battles]] that take place at each event.


==The Synod==
==The Conclave==
[[The Synod]] will be a meeting place for the faithful of the Empire with powers laid down by the Imperial Constitution. Membership of the Synod may be open to all priests, but there will be one or two prominent clergy for each of the seven paths, representing appointment as an Archbishop of a great Cathedral.
The [[Imperial Conclave|Imperial Conclave]] is a political arena for the powerful wizards in the Empire. The six [[Archmage|Archmages]], and the [[Grandmaster|Grandmasters]] of the [[Conclave order|Orders]] are the most prominent titles associated with the Conclave, but any [[Magical skills#Magician|magician]] can participate in it. Titles in the Conclave are associated with magical prowess and power and characters involved in the Conclave will be able to shape the magical destiny of the Empire.


The Synod’s legal powers to constrain the Senate will be limited but important. They will be able to veto by majority vote any constitutional changes and up to one bill each event. In addition, they will be able to order Imperial Citizens to come before the Synod to answer questions, to allow it to serve as the moral conscience. They are also the only body able to intercede with [[the Law|the Judiciary]] to plead for clemency for convicted criminals.
==The Bourse==
The [[Imperial Bourse|Imperial Bourse]] is an arena for characters who are interested in trade and commerce. A position in the Bourse allows characters control of valuable resources that can be used to influence the economic development of the Empire. Unlike the other four houses of power, the Bourse does not have meetings or wield political power directly - the influence of those able to claim a seat on the Bourse either by purchasing it at auction or being appointed by their fellow citizens comes from control of the four extremely valuable materials. Only through the Bourse can one acquire large amounts of the scarce mithril, weirwood, white granite, and [[ilium]].


==The Bourse, the Conclave and the Military==
==The Throne==
[[The Bourse]] will be a political arena for characters who are heavily engaged in trade and commerce. A position in the Bourse will be associated with great wealth and characters involved in the Bourse will be able to influence the economics of the Empire.
There are many [[Imperial title|Imperial titles]] in the Empire, and the Senate has the ability to create new ones. The single most influential title is that of [[the Throne]] - commonly referred to as Emperor or Empress. They have extensive [[The_Throne#Powers|powers]] in the other houses of government, but must lead the Empire rather than rule it. Like all other positions of significant political power in the Empire, the Throne is always a Player Character. The most recent Throne was [[Empress Lisabetta|Imperatrix Lisabetta]], who was appointed after several years of politicking in 380YE.


[[The Conclave]] will be a political arena for the powerful wizards in the Empire. Positions in the Conclave will be associated with magical prowess and power and characters involved in the Conclave will be able to shape the magical destiny of the Empire.
The [[Imperial Senate|Senate]] is responsible for [[The_Throne#Appointment|appointing]] the Throne, and the [[Imperial Synod|Synod]] has the power to [[revocation|remove]] them from office. The game is also designed to be able to function without a Throne, but they possess certain powers that are not available when the position is empty.


[[The Military]] will be a political arena for characters who are engaged in war and conflict with the Empire's enemies. A position in the Military will give a character influence over the wars the Empire fights as well as the battles that take place at each event. All three of these political structures will rival the power of the Senate and the Synod.
==The Civil Service and magistrates==
The Empire has an efficient and orderly civil service that helps administer the Empire. These are NPC roles played by crew. Their job is to facilitate the player leadership and keep the game immersive and challenging. They present details of the setting to the players in a purely IC manner, bringing onto the field aspects of the game that might otherwise have required referees, print outs or computers. The Civil Service lets the players enjoy the challenge of controlling an empire without getting bogged down in the bureaucratic details of administering an empire.


==The Civil Service and Judiciary==
The Civil Service will also perform tasks such as managing meetings in the Senate, holding trials for accused parties and presenting intelligence to help the generals choose which battle opportunities to pursue. The Civil Service makes it possible for us to recognize what players are doing, and to ensure that their actions and decisions are reflected in the game world. The NPC Civil Service carry out a wide range of logistical functions, without being in charge.
The Empire has an efficient and orderly [[the Civil Service|civil service]]; these will be primarily played by our crew. Their job is to support the game by making the game systems run more efficiently (e.g. managing meetings in the Senate, holding trials for accused parties). The Civil Service will make it possible for us to recognize what players are doing, and ensure that their actions and decisions are reflected in the game world. The Civil Service will allow us to have a wide range of logistical functions carried out by NPCs, without having those NPCs be in charge.


The Judiciary will exist to enforce [[the law]]. This will allow us to present a body of Imperial law to the players (which they change through the Senate). It will also make breaking the law meaningful and credibly dangerous, as well as keeping the resulting trials short and interesting. Trials are notoriously dull in LRP, and law enforcement is usually arduous at best. PCs will be involved in the legal process, gathering evidence and arresting suspects but trials will be conducted and judged by our NPCs.
[[Imperial Law|The Magistrates]] are a specific branch of the Civil Service whose role is to enforce the law. Laws are created by the players in the Senate, but enforced by our NPC magistrates. PCs can be directly involved in the legal process, gathering evidence and arresting suspects, but trials will be conducted and judged by our NPCs. This ensures that  breaking the law is meaningful and credibly dangerous, as well as keeping the resulting trials short and interesting.


==Eternals==
==Eternals==
[[The World|The world]] of Empire touches six other planes of existence. These are home to powerful magical entities called [[Eternals]] who are interested in the human world. Players can meet the Eternals in the [[Hall of Worlds]], and negotiate and deal with them there.
[[World overview|The world]] of Empire is known to touch six other [[Realms|planes of existence]]. These are home to magical entities called [[eternal|eternals]], some of whom are interested in the human world. Players - especially the [[Archmage|Archmages]] of the [[Imperial Conclave|Conclave]] - can meet and negotiate with the eternals and their representatives. The eternals are not gods but possess magical powers that players may be able to draw upon to advance their own agendas. They have their own motivations and personalities, however, and characters who encounter them must always be careful about what they agree to.
 
==Lineage==
The majority of the Empire's population are normal humans. Some, however, manifest one of the six distinct [[lineage|lineages]] that set them somewhat apart from their neighbours. Lineage represents a supernatural quality in a human character's make-up. This quality might be due to supernatural blood in their ancestry. or represent exposure to powerful magic. The strength of lineage varies between individuals. Each has a list of roleplaying and physical trappings that offer guidance on how to portray the lineage. The more of the trappings the player adopts for their character, the less like a human their character becomes.
 
Ultimately characters with lineage are still human, however, and lineage has no impact on a character’s skills or abilities. Some lineages are more accepted than others, and some nations are prejudiced against certain lineages.
 
Lineage fills the role that race often plays in fantasy games. Only human characters have Lineage - [[orc]] characters specifically do not.


The Eternals are powerful but they are not gods. Their power is themed. Their role in the game is to make the game world feel more magical and fantastic; to provide dramatic non-combat moments for players by interaction in the Hall of Worlds; and to act as a source of plot through their machinations. Wizards will bargain and deal with the Eternals, and their actions may well be significant in the Conclave.
==Barbarians==
[[Barbarian|Barbarians]] are people who are not part of the Empire, that the Empire is currently at war with. There are several distinct barbarian powers which represent hostile nations. The barbarians are designed to look cool in massive numbers in battles, to provide immersive, exciting and dramatic combat encounters, and to allow a range of interactions outside of combat. Most of the barbarian powers that currently surround the Empire are [[orc|orcs]]. Players are not able to play barbarian characters - by definition, they are not welcome on the playing field.
==Orcs==
Players are able to play [[Imperial Orcs]]. Imperial orcs are those orcs who were brought into the Empire decades ago. As such, they are politically assimilated and loyal to the Empire. Imperial orcs have their own unique culture; they are a nation of their own. The orcs have only recently gained a [[Skarsind|homeland]] of their own and are still deciding what exactly it means to be part of the Empire.


==Lineage==
Other species exist in the world, but players may only create human or Imperial Orc characters.
Human PCs may choose one of five different [[lineages]]. Lineage represents Eternal blood in a character’s ancestry. The degree of Eternal blood varies, the more obvious and dramatically non-human a player’s phys-rep then the more Eternal blood they have.
==Foreign Nations==
[[Foreign Nations|Foreigners]] are people that are not part of the Empire, that the Empire is not currently at war with. The Empire trades with many of these foreign powers, and may host delegations from them. There are two basic classifications of foreigner - the local foreigners whose nations lie close to Imperial territory an the distant foreigners who equal the Empire in power but lie far beyond Imperial borders. Foreigners do not directly influence the future of the Empire, but they possess economic and diplomatic powers that can influence it from afar. The [[Imperial Senate|Senate]] appoints [[Ambassador|Ambassadors]] to many of these nations, and these players represent the Empire on the international stage. Each nation has its own political agendas, philosophies, and goals that guide their interaction with the players.
 
It is not possible to play a foreigner as a character, but it is acceptable to play a character who was born in a foreign nation and has since become part of one of the Imperial nations.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Wecanbeheroes.jpg|align=right|width=800|caption="We can beat them, just for one day"}}
==Heroes of the Empire==
The game allows the heroes of Anvil to make use of the ancient arcane device known as the [[Sentinel Gate]] to access specific magical [[conjunctions]] that allow travel to far flung locations around the Empire. By using these conjunctions, players are able to respond to threats from the barbarians, assist imperilled citizens, explore hidden locations, or meet with individuals who would not normally travel to Anvil.


Each lineage will have a list of roleplaying and physical “Trappings”, to give guidance on how to play the lineage. The more of the Trappings the player adopts for their character the more “Eternal” and less human their character is. Lineage has no impact on a character’s skills or abilities, but will affect the way other Eternals interact with a character.
Many of these conjunctions are tracked by the Civil Service. The information they provide is disseminated by the War Scouts to assist players in preparing for short engagements known as skirmishes. These encounters normally last 20 minutes and pit players against threats portrayed by our Skirmish team. They might involve rescuing injured soldiers, striking against orc encampments, or wielding strategic magic.


==Barbarians and Orcs==
Twice per summit the [[Imperial Military Council|Military Council]] can send much larger Imperial forces from the combined nations into battle against large formations of barbarian troops to achieve great victories or avoid crushing defeats, altering how campaign can unravel. These [[battles]] allow players to clash in heroic combat both as their characters and as barbarian orcs.
The role of the [[barbarians]] is to serve as opponents to the Empire. There will be several distinct Barbarian powers: tribes, nations or kingdoms as appropriate. The primary requirement of barbarians is to look cool in massive numbers in battles, to provide immersive, exciting, dramatic combat encounters, whilst allowing for a full range of interaction when it is appropriate.


Most of the Barbarians powers that surround the Empire are orcs, not humans. Other races exist in the world that will be described in the final setting. Players will encounter representatives of these powers over time.
==Technology==
While the basic technology of the game is aimed at a magical-medieval tone, there are a few things that go beyond the historical equivalents in the setting. The [[technology]] page lays out some of the important elements of common technology in the Empire that distinguish the setting from historical Europe. Most of these additions are designed to provide in-character explanations for real world technology - to make the setting fit the game better.


Players will be able to play [[Imperial Orcs]]. Imperial orcs are orcs who have been brought into the Empire decades earlier; as such, they are completely politically assimilated and are totally loyal to the Empire. Imperial orcs have their own unique culture, effectively they are a nation of their own, although they do lack territory and the political power that the Nations wield.
It is important to note that Empire is not a game of technological exploration - technological advancement and invention are not themes of the game. This means that you cannot invent binoculars by putting two spyglasses together - this is against the spirit of the game and would fail if you tried it. Substances like gunpowder are not part of our setting and cannot be researched or discovered.  


[[Category:The Game]]
[[Category:The Game]]

Latest revision as of 17:59, 29 December 2023

This is an old page whose content has been superseded by pages such as the setting and the game
Getting Together.jpg

Introduction

The game is set in a powerful Empire that is surrounded by hostile barbarians. After centuries of relative prosperity, the Empire experienced a decline. Internecine conflict and weak leadership led to several territories being overrun by barbarian invasion that an Empire focused on internal politics was ill-equipped to repulse.

The game began shortly after the death of Empress Britta, leaving the collective player base as the most powerful individuals in the Empire. Since then, the Empire has begun to restore the Empire to its former glory, and lay the groundwork for surpassing the successes of the past.

The Empire is formed from ten culturally distinct nations. Each nation has its own culture and customs but they are politically and legally unified. Although the players are all fundamentally on the same side there is rivalry between nations, with players competing with each other to lead the Empire and achieve their own goals.

A single religion unites the Empire. Priests of the Way guide their fellow citizens along the Paths of Virtue and wield potent political power through the Imperial Synod. They must remain ever vigilant against heretics, blasphemers, and idolators who seek to undermine the faith and steal the Empire's destiny.

Events represent the moments when the powerful and significant members of the Empire come together to shape its future. These are times when characters can take bold actions - political maneuvering to advance one's agenda in the Senate, Synod, Conclave, and Military Council; opportunities to practice powerful magic; chances to make your fortune or gain a lucrative seat on the Bourse; and forays through the Sentinel Gate - battles on skirmishes to be fought that will determine the outcome of the Empire's military campaigns or quests in pursuit of more personal goals.

Look and feel

The inspiration for the setting is drawn from the late Byzantine period to the early Renaissance era. In creating the visual styles for the nations we have been inspired by some of the images from the Lord of the Rings movies, the Assassin's Creed and Dragon Age computer games, HBO Borgias and the Game of Thrones television series, the Starz Camelot series and even the BBC Merlin series.

The setting and the style of the game has also been influenced by modern fantasy literature, especially the highly political worlds of Jim Butcher's Codex Alera and Joe Abercrombie's The First Law.

The game is not a historical setting; history is just one of the starting points that has been used to create the distinctive looks and the culture of each nation. We want players to create characters and wear costume that fits the setting and their part within it. To help with this the wiki includes extensive information about each nation, the costumes that are appropriate and advice on how to create the right look. The goal is for everyone involved to be ambitious and work together to create a game that looks stunning and sets new standards for immersion.

National Identity.jpg
Ten peoples, one nation.

The nations of the Empire

The Empire is formed from ten culturally distinct nations. Nations exist to provide the players with their primary source of identity - in the way that players in other fest systems are Malathians, Greeks or Lions, our players are Highborn or Navarr. The game is organised logistically along nation lines, with camps laid out for each nation. Nationality has no rules impact on a character’s skills or abilities, because we want to encourage players to choose their nation purely for its aesthetic and setting rather than for reasons of optimisation.

Nations are not politically independent, but they have a cultural identity that is identifiable and reflected in their dress, customs and attitude. The Empire has a single set of laws that applies to each citizen, and each nation elects senators to represent its political interests as well as generals to direct its armies in service to the Empire.

The Senate

Political control of the Empire is primarily through the Senate. Each nation selects its own senators, each one of whom serves for a year before facing re-election. Senators vote on motions and make decisions that affect the Empire directly. The debates and business of the Senate is facilitated and administered by our NPC Civil Service and officiated by the Speaker for the Senate. Even with the Throne occupied by Imperatrix Lisabetta, the Senate continues to have a vital role in shaping the future of the Empire.

The point of the Senate is to provide a focus for political conflict between characters. It gives PCs the levers to control the Empire - but in uptime, rather than in downtime.

The Synod

The Empire has an official state religion called the Way which revolves around the practice of the seven Virtues. The Synod is a political body and meeting place for the faithful of the Empire. It serves as the moral conscience of the Empire, but also possesses potent political powers supported by the Imperial Constitution. Membership of the Synod is open to all priests of the Way with a congregation (represented by a personal resource). The Synod is guided in part by the Cardinals who make up the Assembly of the Nine.

The Synod has several powers including the ability to veto the decisions of the Senate, to call Imperial citizens before it to answer questions about their actions, and ultimately to dismiss senators and generals it deems to be corrupt or unvirtuous. They are also the only body able to intercede with the judiciary to plead for clemency for convicted criminals.

The Military Council

The Military Council is run by the generals who oversee war and conflict with the Empire's enemies. A position in the Military will give a character influence over the wars the Empire fights against their barbarian enemies, as well as the battles that take place at each event.

The Conclave

The Imperial Conclave is a political arena for the powerful wizards in the Empire. The six Archmages, and the Grandmasters of the Orders are the most prominent titles associated with the Conclave, but any magician can participate in it. Titles in the Conclave are associated with magical prowess and power and characters involved in the Conclave will be able to shape the magical destiny of the Empire.

The Bourse

The Imperial Bourse is an arena for characters who are interested in trade and commerce. A position in the Bourse allows characters control of valuable resources that can be used to influence the economic development of the Empire. Unlike the other four houses of power, the Bourse does not have meetings or wield political power directly - the influence of those able to claim a seat on the Bourse either by purchasing it at auction or being appointed by their fellow citizens comes from control of the four extremely valuable materials. Only through the Bourse can one acquire large amounts of the scarce mithril, weirwood, white granite, and ilium.

The Throne

There are many Imperial titles in the Empire, and the Senate has the ability to create new ones. The single most influential title is that of the Throne - commonly referred to as Emperor or Empress. They have extensive powers in the other houses of government, but must lead the Empire rather than rule it. Like all other positions of significant political power in the Empire, the Throne is always a Player Character. The most recent Throne was Imperatrix Lisabetta, who was appointed after several years of politicking in 380YE.

The Senate is responsible for appointing the Throne, and the Synod has the power to remove them from office. The game is also designed to be able to function without a Throne, but they possess certain powers that are not available when the position is empty.

The Civil Service and magistrates

The Empire has an efficient and orderly civil service that helps administer the Empire. These are NPC roles played by crew. Their job is to facilitate the player leadership and keep the game immersive and challenging. They present details of the setting to the players in a purely IC manner, bringing onto the field aspects of the game that might otherwise have required referees, print outs or computers. The Civil Service lets the players enjoy the challenge of controlling an empire without getting bogged down in the bureaucratic details of administering an empire.

The Civil Service will also perform tasks such as managing meetings in the Senate, holding trials for accused parties and presenting intelligence to help the generals choose which battle opportunities to pursue. The Civil Service makes it possible for us to recognize what players are doing, and to ensure that their actions and decisions are reflected in the game world. The NPC Civil Service carry out a wide range of logistical functions, without being in charge.

The Magistrates are a specific branch of the Civil Service whose role is to enforce the law. Laws are created by the players in the Senate, but enforced by our NPC magistrates. PCs can be directly involved in the legal process, gathering evidence and arresting suspects, but trials will be conducted and judged by our NPCs. This ensures that breaking the law is meaningful and credibly dangerous, as well as keeping the resulting trials short and interesting.

Eternals

The world of Empire is known to touch six other planes of existence. These are home to magical entities called eternals, some of whom are interested in the human world. Players - especially the Archmages of the Conclave - can meet and negotiate with the eternals and their representatives. The eternals are not gods but possess magical powers that players may be able to draw upon to advance their own agendas. They have their own motivations and personalities, however, and characters who encounter them must always be careful about what they agree to.

Lineage

The majority of the Empire's population are normal humans. Some, however, manifest one of the six distinct lineages that set them somewhat apart from their neighbours. Lineage represents a supernatural quality in a human character's make-up. This quality might be due to supernatural blood in their ancestry. or represent exposure to powerful magic. The strength of lineage varies between individuals. Each has a list of roleplaying and physical trappings that offer guidance on how to portray the lineage. The more of the trappings the player adopts for their character, the less like a human their character becomes.

Ultimately characters with lineage are still human, however, and lineage has no impact on a character’s skills or abilities. Some lineages are more accepted than others, and some nations are prejudiced against certain lineages.

Lineage fills the role that race often plays in fantasy games. Only human characters have Lineage - orc characters specifically do not.

Barbarians

Barbarians are people who are not part of the Empire, that the Empire is currently at war with. There are several distinct barbarian powers which represent hostile nations. The barbarians are designed to look cool in massive numbers in battles, to provide immersive, exciting and dramatic combat encounters, and to allow a range of interactions outside of combat. Most of the barbarian powers that currently surround the Empire are orcs. Players are not able to play barbarian characters - by definition, they are not welcome on the playing field.

Orcs

Players are able to play Imperial Orcs. Imperial orcs are those orcs who were brought into the Empire decades ago. As such, they are politically assimilated and loyal to the Empire. Imperial orcs have their own unique culture; they are a nation of their own. The orcs have only recently gained a homeland of their own and are still deciding what exactly it means to be part of the Empire.

Other species exist in the world, but players may only create human or Imperial Orc characters.

Foreign Nations

Foreigners are people that are not part of the Empire, that the Empire is not currently at war with. The Empire trades with many of these foreign powers, and may host delegations from them. There are two basic classifications of foreigner - the local foreigners whose nations lie close to Imperial territory an the distant foreigners who equal the Empire in power but lie far beyond Imperial borders. Foreigners do not directly influence the future of the Empire, but they possess economic and diplomatic powers that can influence it from afar. The Senate appoints Ambassadors to many of these nations, and these players represent the Empire on the international stage. Each nation has its own political agendas, philosophies, and goals that guide their interaction with the players.

It is not possible to play a foreigner as a character, but it is acceptable to play a character who was born in a foreign nation and has since become part of one of the Imperial nations.

Wecanbeheroes.jpg
"We can beat them, just for one day"

Heroes of the Empire

The game allows the heroes of Anvil to make use of the ancient arcane device known as the Sentinel Gate to access specific magical conjunctions that allow travel to far flung locations around the Empire. By using these conjunctions, players are able to respond to threats from the barbarians, assist imperilled citizens, explore hidden locations, or meet with individuals who would not normally travel to Anvil.

Many of these conjunctions are tracked by the Civil Service. The information they provide is disseminated by the War Scouts to assist players in preparing for short engagements known as skirmishes. These encounters normally last 20 minutes and pit players against threats portrayed by our Skirmish team. They might involve rescuing injured soldiers, striking against orc encampments, or wielding strategic magic.

Twice per summit the Military Council can send much larger Imperial forces from the combined nations into battle against large formations of barbarian troops to achieve great victories or avoid crushing defeats, altering how campaign can unravel. These battles allow players to clash in heroic combat both as their characters and as barbarian orcs.

Technology

While the basic technology of the game is aimed at a magical-medieval tone, there are a few things that go beyond the historical equivalents in the setting. The technology page lays out some of the important elements of common technology in the Empire that distinguish the setting from historical Europe. Most of these additions are designed to provide in-character explanations for real world technology - to make the setting fit the game better.

It is important to note that Empire is not a game of technological exploration - technological advancement and invention are not themes of the game. This means that you cannot invent binoculars by putting two spyglasses together - this is against the spirit of the game and would fail if you tried it. Substances like gunpowder are not part of our setting and cannot be researched or discovered.