What is "Nations and Empires"?

Nations and Empires is a multiplayer online game in which players can be soldiers, high government officials, independent adventurers or just about anything else. Those who choose to be government officials or who take over governments, can rule provinces, nations and empires.

Players have an opportunity to interact with each other during the game. The actions of some players, especially high government officials, will affect the situation other players experience. The world of the game changes permanently in response to player actions.

The game is played primarily through forum postings, but also sometimes by e-mail. The purpose of this blog page is to provide information that is available to all players and to non-players who are interested in the game or who may wish to join the game.

To join the game, either post a message in the new players' forum or send us an e-mail.

The new players forum is near the top of the page at:

http://www.naegame.proboards.com

Or you can send us an e-mail at nationsandempires@yahoo.com asking to join. Whether you sign up by posting or by e-mailing, you can ask for the "quickstart" option to immediately be assigned a character and starting situation and nationality. You can change characters or nations later if you wish.

Refer to the links along the upper right side of this page for more information. Don't just read straight down this page. Some of the most important information isn't on this page and can only be reached via the links.

How to Play

You can play Nations and Empires as a role playing adventure game.
Or you can play the part of a political leader and try to rule a nation. Most players who achieve political power in the game began by applying for appointment as governor of a province of a large country such as the Zekresh Empire. If you do this, and get appointed, you have the option of declaring independence and having your province become your own nation. Of course, your new country may be attacked for that, but that just makes the game more exciting.

To begin the game without reading more, just send an e-mail to nationsandempires@yahoo.com with the word "quickstart" in the subject line or in the text of the message. If you have some idea of what sort of character you want, you can mention that in the e-mail, but you don't have to. You will receive an e-mail in response assigning you a character. It is not necessary to read the information on the game websites to begin playing.

The game is run by people, not computers, so it is simple to play. When you want to take an action in the game, just post a message in the appropriate forum saying what you attempt to do. The forums are at:

http://www.naegame.proboards.com

The appropriate place to post actions is usually in the regional forum for the region of the game world that you are in at the time. There are further instructions on forum postings in the general discussion area of the forums. Or, you can send an e-mail to the game administrators at nationsandempires@yahoo.com telling them what your character attempts to do. You will be informed of the results of your actions and of other events by forum postings, e-mail or by the news postings. If you have any questions, you can also post them in the general discussion area of the forum.

There is an opportunity for interacting directly with other players and role playing by posting messages to the forums. There are no commands or menus to learn nor any special game interface. The game does include sophisticated computer software to simulate battles, economics and other matters, but you never have to figure out how it works. The game administrators do all that for you. All you have to do is post messages on the forum.


Choosing a Character

You can, as mentioned above, just send an e-mail to nationsandempires@yahoo.com saying "quickstart" and you will be assigned a character. This is recommended as a way to explore the game if you are new at it. Once you have a better understanding of what's going on and who is who, you can swap this character for a new one with characteristics you choose.

You can create a new character whenever you want. When designing your own character, the first thing you should do is refer to the nationalities page here:

http://nationsandempires1.blogspot.com/2007/03/nationalities-of-zekresh-empire.html

Players can choose any nationality on the list for their character. It is also possible to be of mixed nationality. However, some combinations simply don't exist. For example, there are no half Kopixer, half Ralbanians because they live two oceans apart and neither group travels much. Don't worry too much about that. Just send us your proposal for a character and if there is anything wrong with it, we will let you know and suggest a change to fix it.

Some nationalities are found mostly in their own regions while others travel widely and settle in distant lands. The ones that travel the most are these, listed in order of most widespread to less widespread:

Zekresh, Frayeth, Verronese, Slythian, Ilanian, Ravelonian, Kikali, Vummese, Corinwelder, Groglinther, Varl, Nyarl, Vipathan, Warnan, Baaniferian, Foerfen, Silway, Ulawan, Zamarula

Nationalities not on this list are usually only found on or near their home provinces or territories.

The exceptions to this are the nationalities which have been assimilated into other nationalities such as the Shell people, Marsh people, Bay people, Sarindans, Gavrinians, Tuladorians, etc. Members of these groups tend to travel as widely as the groups they have become part of.

Of course, you can have a character of any nationality and travel as much as you want. You just might have to start the game in your home province.

Once you have chosen a nationality, you should decide if your character is male or female. If you know what sort of name a person of that nationality and gender might have, pick a name. If not, the gamemasters will choose a name for you or give you several possible names to choose from.

After you have a nationality and gender, choose an occupation. Note the main occupations of your nationality on the nationalities list such as "farmers and herdsmen" or "fishermen and hunters". You are not limited to the occupations mentioned in your nationality description, but these are the most common among your character's people. If your nation's occupations are mostly, "herdsmen and farmers" you should consider making your character a herdsman or a farmer. That doesn't mean you have to sit around herding sheep or farming. That's just the situation you start with. You can decide to become an adventurer, soldier, mercenary or politician and then undertake to pursue your character's dreams.

Click here for notes on female characters.

Send an e-mail to nationsandempires@yahoo.com answering this questionnaire:
(If you wish, you can only answer part of the questionnaire and let us decide the rest of the details.)

(1) What is your proposed character's nationality? (Choose only from the fictional nationalities on the nationalities list at

http://nationsandempires1.blogspot.com/2007/03/nationalities-of-zekresh-empire.html

(2) Is your proposed character male or female?

(3) What name would you like your character to have? (You can leave this blank and we'll send you several options to choose from. If you pick a name that does not sound like a name that a person would have who is of the nationality and gender you selected, the gamemasters will disallow it and send you several options to choose from.)

(4) How old is your proposed character when the game starts?

(5) What is your proposed character's occupation?

(6) Are there any other characteristics, skills or possessions you would like your character to start with? What are they?
(This would be the place to request being a skilled warrior, owning weapons, having lots of money, owning a horse a house or a ship, having a large family or being single, being an Imperial Army officer, being a sailor or a pirate, owning a farm, family connections to powerful people, etc.)

(7) Is there any particular place in the game world that you would like to start at? If so, where?

(8) Is there anything else you would like to have in your proposed character's personal history? If so, what?
(Here would be the place to mention prior military service in the Zekresh Imperial Army or Navy, prior work experience, especially things that might qualify you for appointment to high political office.)

E-mail your response to these question to us at

nationsandempires@yahoo.com

This is the primary e-mail address to contact the game administrators for any reason.

You will receive an answer approving your character or proposing modifications. You may discuss this with the game administrators (game masters) via e-mail until you work out a character you want that the game masters consider a reasonable addition to the world of the game. Once your character is approved, you will receive an e-mail from the game masters saying so and perhaps providing you with additional information about your character and your starting situation. The approval from the game masters should include your starting date (according to the Zekresh calendar or some other calender in the game) and starting location including region. It may mention a specific thread on the regional forum you should start off posting to. After you receive approval for your proposed character, go to the forums at

http://www.naegame.proboards.com

and register. Your user name should be the same as the name of your character. It will automatically be put into lower case letters. You can capitalize the first letter by clicking on "profile" then "modify profile" then changing the "display name". If you registered with a different user name than your character name, you can use this to change your display name to your character name and your user name won't matter.

The registration process requires you to provide an e-mail address. An activation code will be sent to you by e-mail to confirm that the e-mail address you provided really is yours. When you login the first time, you will need to provide the activation code.

Once you have logged in, read the rules and announcements and go to the appropriate region and thread. If it is not clear to you which region you should start in, refer to the e-mail you received from the game masters approving your character. It should say where you begin and the game date you begin.

If you need further clarification, go to the maps section at:

http://nationsandempires5.blogspot.com

to review the maps and find your starting location or any other location in the "known world" of the game.

Post an initial message. At the top of the message should be the date (according to the game calendar) and your initial location.

Then skip a line and post something indicating what your character is doing as you begin. If you are only doing normal, routine things, then you can continue posting. When you get to the point where you need a reaction from another character wait for a response from the other character. It may take a while, sometimes a day or more. If you are doing something that it is not certain you will succeed at, post something saying what you attempt to do and then wait for a gamemaster or assistant gamemaster to post a reply indicating whether you succeeded. This may also take a day or more.

Read what other players are doing to get a feel for how the game is played. Use your postings to accomplish what you want to accomplish in the game.

For the latest news of major in-game events, see here:

http://nationsandempires1.blogspot.com/2007/03/nationalities-of-zekresh-empire.html

http://nationsandempires3.blogspot.com

Starting Scenario

Imagine the last days of the Roman Empire. Provinces were breaking away, eventually becoming the nations of modern day Europe. Lusitania province became Portugal, Hispania became Spain. Gaullia and Narbonensis became France. Britannia became Britain. The economy was almost entirely agrarian, but from this starting point, the nations of Europe developed technologies and industrialized economies that allowed them to colonize and rule most of the world in the centuries that followed. As the Roman Empire was ending and the medieval period was beginning, it was hard to see that. There was no generally agreed upon name for planet Earth yet because the idea of a planet had not yet been conceived and people believed the world was flat. European maps only showed the "known world" which was just the Roman Empire and a few areas on its borders. The rest of the world was not on the maps, but it was out there for any explorer to discover.


The starting scenario of Nations and Empires is based on this situation and is approximately similar to Europe in the fifth century AD. The setting for Nations and Empires is not Earth so there is no Roman Empire, but there is the Zekresh Empire.









The Empire is currently ruled by the Emperor Cledman VI, who is 74 years old, slightly senile, often drunk and thoroughly corrupt.












The Zekresh Empire at this time has a technology level approximately equal to Europe of the Middle Ages or China during the early Ming Dynasty. Due to the decrepit state of the empire, recently developed technologies are not in widespread use so most provinces are using technologies even less advanced than in the core of the Empire. The technology level is expected to increase dramatically over the course of the game.





Technology will increase


























Technology will increase a lot






The Zekresh Empire has little knowledge of the lands beyond its own borders so the rest of the world is not shown on the map, but maps of the whole planet do exist and will be revealed to players who explore or otherwise obtain this information. The Zekresh Empire considers everyone beyond its borders and some of its own people to be barbarians or "zurithani" ("wildmen") and as far as the people of the Zekresh Empire know, the wildmen all have much more primitive societies than the empire. There used to be quite a few other nations besides the Empire, but they were all conquered and annexed and became provinces of the Empire yearning to regain their independence. The Empire rules essentially the entire known world, but probably not for much longer.

Be warned, the game will have some big surprises in it.

Rule a Nation

One of the most popular things to do in Nations and Empires is to try to rule a nation. Although some of the maps make it seem like there is only one nation, the Zekresh Empire, there are actually many nations in the game. Some provinces (notably Helmarie and Aatan) declared independence, but imperial maps do not always indicate this since the Empire still considers them to be rebellious provinces.

There are about a hundred sizeable nations and many smaller tribes that are ruled by the Zekresh Empire but still retain their own language, culture and in most cases, their own traditional leaders who are separate from the Imperial officials who rule them. Any of these nations could rebel and declare independence. There are also many more nations and tribes outside the Empire who have never been part of the Empire and are completely independent. They tend to be primitive, though.

You can attempt to gain political power in the game however you want to. The most common method is to apply to the Lord Chancellor of the Zekresh Empire to be appointed Ulor (governor) of a province. This is a position of considerable power. Players have used such positions to build up the power of their provinces or to declare independence and turn their provinces into independent countries.

Other possibilities would be to apply for some other position such as a lesser position in an important province or a higher position in the Imperial government. It is easier to get appointed Ulor of a province if you have prior experience in some level of provincial government, especially as Ulor Ekanor (Lieutenant Governor), an advisor to an Ulor, or as some other provincial official such as treasurer, captain of the guard, or a provincial minister. Holding such a position, even briefly, can also allow you to see how another player handles the responsibilities of being an Ulor.

Another option would be to join the Zekresh Imperial Army or Navy and attempt to rise through the ranks. Another option would be to request a character who is a member of the royal family and attempt to make yourself the Emperor.

Or you could be a chief or other traditional leader of a nation or tribe inside the Empire or outside the Empire. National and tribal leaders inside the Empire tend to have no legal authority under Imperial law and to gain real power it may be necessary to lead a revolt. On the other hand, traditional national and tribal leaders are often in the best position to lead successful revolts.

You could also play as a religious leader, either of the Zekresh official religion or of the traditional religion of some other nation or tribe or you could be the leader of a new religion with fast growing cult following. You could even have a character whose followers believe him to be a god, but that can be difficult to live up to. (And no, that doesn't mean your character actually is a god.)

Or you could play an extremely wealthy landowner, merchant or banker and try to gain influence that way. Another possibility would be to play as a leader of an organized crime group, secret society, Slythian assassin cult, bandit gang or ship full of pirates and attempt to gain power that way.

For those who wish to rule one of the conquered nations that has become a province of the Zekresh Empire or any other province, you should send a written request to the Imperial government. If your character can't read or write, hire a scribe to write it for you. Send it by Imperial courier to the appropriate Zekresh Imperial official. The Emperor makes Ulor appointments, but that is a formality. Send requests for appointment as Ulor of a province to the Lord Chancellor. You can do this either by posting your letter in the appropriate forum or e-mailing it to nationsandempires@yahoo.com.



You Could Declare Independence

The easiest path to ruling an independent country in Nations and Empires is to become governor of a province of the Zekresh Empire and then declare independence.

The people of most provinces of the Zekresh Empire are nations that have long been ruled by the Zekresh Empire, but are now dreaming of independence and freedom. If you wish, your first move can be to declare your province an independent nation, change its name to whatever you want your nation to be called, and cut all ties to the Zekresh Empire.

The empire is so decadent, corrupt, incompetent and weak that they are may not even send troops to try to bring you back into the empire. If they do, most Zekresh generals will order their troops to stop attacking you if you pay them a reasonable bribe. On the other hand, you may not wish to declare independence right away. You can build up your strength first as a province of the empire. Or, you can remain in the empire and attempt to take it over, make yourself the emperor and implement reforms to change the empire from its current pathetic state into whatever you want it to be. And you can change the name of the empire, too.


Make Friends and Allies

There are others players, lots of other players. Other provinces have and will continue to separate from the empire and become independent nations. Other players will try to sit on the Zekresh imperial throne. Maybe you can make them your allies. Maybe they will be your enemies. It depends on how you handle diplomatic communications with other players.


Ruling Your Nation

Ruling a province or a country in the game can be almost as simple as the game Nation States at www.nationstates.net where all you do is review the issues once a day or once a week and pick from among several choices of actions you may take. In Nations and Empires, your advisors will ask you to make decisions and they will suggest several options for you to chose from if you want them to. If you do not want the game to be any more complicated than that, it won't be. But if you want more from the game, you can have it. The game has extremely realistic and detailed political, economic and military simulation components.

You can access all this if you want to. For example, you don't have to choose only among the options your advisors suggest. If you don't like any of their proposed solutions to a problem, you can make up any proposed solution you can think of and choose that option instead. Also, you can get a new advisor if you don't like the advice the old one has been giving you. Or you can have more than one advisor. And you don't have to wait for your advisors to bring an issue to your attention. You can take action on any issue you can think of at any time.

This immense flexibility exists because Nations and Empires is really not a computer game. It is played over the internet, but the game is run by live game administrators or gamemasters, not by a computer program. There is custom computer software used to make the game work, but such software is a tool the administrators use to run the game. There is no computer program running the game. This allows the players to come up with and implement innovative ideas and strategies that could work in real life, but would be impossible in a pre-programmed game run by a computer.

If you want to, you can pay attention to the internal politics that goes on in your own nation or any other nation or between nations. If you want to, you can assume direct command of your military forces in wartime and play Nations and Empires as a war game. Or you can leave such details to your generals and not worry about it. If you want to, you can obtain detailed economic statistics on your nation and attempt to implement your ideas on how an economy should work. Or, if you want to, you can ignore all that, focus on the most important decisions and have your advisors handle all the boring details. Players who get involved in the details do not necessarily gain any advantage by doing so. They simply choose to play the game in a more complex way.

NAE Web Page Index

Nations and Empires(TM) is currently being run out of several web pages hosted by blogspot.com.
This is an index of all the Nations and Empires web pages that are currently or imminently in use and what they are for.


NAE 1
Main Page

http://nationsandempires1.blogspot.com/
This site provides basic reference information about the game. It will be updated and have additional information of a similar character added by the game administrators from time to time. In particular, it is expected that it will be necessary to update the maps, change the membership of the Imperial Council, alter the list of Imperial military forces and similar changes. At some point it may be necessary to change who the Emperor is.

NAE 2
Profiles of Provinces and Nations
http://nationsandempires2.blogspot.com/
This page is used to post detailed profiles of important or otherwise noteworthy provinces, nations or new empires.

NAE 3
News
http://nationsandempires3.blogspot.com/
This site works like a normal blog, providing news of events that are common knowledge to all players such as Imperial Decrees, major natural distasters, wars, plagues and the debates of the Imperial Council which they couldn't keep secret if they tried. Actions of players will be reported here if sufficiently important and known to the public.


NAE 4
Budgets
http://nationsandempires4.blogspot.com/
This site is used to publish provincial budgets and other financial information.

NAE 5
Maps
http://nationsandempires5.blogspot.com/
This site contains the maps used for the game. They are updated periodically.


NAE 6
Library of Scrolls
http://nationsandempires6.blogspot.com/
This site is used to publish scrolls of various kinds that are available in libraries in the Zekresh Empire.

NAE 7
Administrative use
http://nationsandempires7.blogspot.com/
This page is reserved, but not currently used.


To contact the game administrators for any reason, send e-mail to nationsandempires@yahoo.com

The Emperor

Cledman VI, Vylor Zekresh
(Zekresh Emperor)

The Empire is currently ruled by the Emperor Cledman VI, who is 74 years old, slightly senile, often drunk and thoroughly corrupt. He is a member of the Cledman Dynasty which has been on the throne for more than two centuries.





The Succession to the Imperial Throne

Crown Prince Ardimuk, the Emperor's firstborn son, died in a horseback riding accident over twenty years ago, leaving the Empire with no clear heir. The Emperor's younger son, Yatya, had taken his own life previously. Neither son had any children of their own. The Emperor also had a daughter named Gilit who he disowned for marrying a commoner. She has since passed away, but has several children who are now grown up. Custom and several Imperial Decrees forbid inheritance of the Imperial Throne through the female line or by illegitimate heirs, but there is precedent for doing it anyway. The Emperor is rumored to have at least a dozen illegitimate children also and quite a few illegitimate grandchildren. The emperor also had a younger brother named Gamuk and a sister named Jaleenit, both now deceased. The brother had no children. The sister left behind a total of three nephews and two nieces of the Emperor. Some of them also have children of their own. The Emperor also has an Uncle, Rubanya, who is still alive and who has children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and even great-great grandchildren who all have a claim to the throne. There are also hundreds of more distant relatives.

The succession to the throne is often a power struggle with no hard and fast rules. There are decrees of previous Emperors and many precedents, but these contradict each other. The usual method for settling the matter of succession is for an Emperor to issue a decree specifying who his heir will be. The Emperor has refused to do this. In the absence of such a decree, the succession is unclear. The Emperor is still in denial that his sons are dead and also seems to enjoy watching powerful members of the royal family try to win his favor and obtain a decree naming them his heir. The Emperor seems utterly unconcerned at the possibility that the Empire may be plunged into civil war and chaos if he dies without issuing a decree settling the succession issue. It might happen even if he does issue the decree.

There are already political factions forming behind potential heirs to the throne, especially the "Reformist Faction" led by Rubanya Cledman, the Emperor's Uncle and the "Loyalist Faction" led by Levorek, the Emperor's favorite nephew.

See Imperial Council and Faction Map for more information on the factions.



Here is a simplified family tree of the Emperor, Cledman VI and his closest relatives:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

The Imperial Council

Imperial Council
(Stavuk Vyloresh)

The Imperial Council are the Emperor's ministers. They advise the Emperor and carry out his wishes. Or at least, that's what the law says. In practice, some Imperial Councils have in the past held absolute power when the Imperial throne was occupied by a small child or a mentally incompetent emperor. The present Emperor Cledman VI has been reasonably assertive of his power and has relegated the Imperial Council to its usual role of advisors and servants. However, the Emperor is quite old and getting senile. He also has a tendency to go on drinking and partying binges that last for weeks at a time while the affairs of the Empire are increasingly left to the Imperial Council.

During the Emperor's recent illness, he was unable to rule and appeared near death. The Imperial Council split into two factions and the Empire was on the brink of civil war when the Emperor recovered his health.


To see news of the latest debates and actions of the Imperial Council and other news, look here.

To see detailed information and pictures of the current members of the Imperial Council, read on:







Cledman VI
Zekresh Emperor

The Emperor usually attends meetings of the Imperial Council, but he is not a member of it. He is superior to the council.





There are technically six members of the Imperial Council, but only four who regularly show up for meetings. They have made up derogatory nicknames for each other which are given in Zekresh and in English.

The council members are:










Rubanya Cledman
Lord Chancellor (similar to a prime minister)
nickname: "Pracha Ovunesh" ("Idle Chatter")

Rubanya is the Emperor's uncle. Considering that the Emperor is 74 years old, it is truly phenomenal that he still has a living uncle, but he does. Rubanya is 87 years old. Rubanya clearly has the strongest claim to the succession to the throne, but due to his advanced age, it is doubtful if he will outlive the Emperor. If he does, his reign is sure to be quite short and the succession would then become an open question again. Rubanya has heirs who could succeed him if he became Emperor, but they are all strident members of the Reformist Faction which Rubanya created. Most Imperial officials, provincial governors and all the senior officers of the Imperial Army strenuously oppose the Reformists.

Rubanya has advocated many reforms over the years. Above all he wants to root out corruption. Unfortunately, his youthful idealism and vigor are long gone and his dreams of implementing reforms have mostly faded away. He still talks about various reform ideas, but he has only rarely been able to convince the Emperor or his father before him to carry them out. His talk of reform ends up being mostly just talk. This is why the Loyalists nicknamed him "Idle Chatter".

During the recent "Crisis of the Regents" (in the first month of the 41st year of the reign of Emperor Cledman VI) the Emperor fell ill and appeared near death. The Reformist Faction and the Loyalist Faction each attempted to seize control of both the government and the Imperial Army. Fighting had already begun and the Empire was on the brink of civil war when the Emperor recovered his health. In that crisis, Rubanya set up an alternative Imperial capital at the city of Yishil and was beseiged there by an army of the Loyalist Faction led by Field Marshall Krulmuk. Rubanya retained the loyalty of part of the army and virtually all of the Imperial Navy. Though he was beseiged at Yishil, he could have evacuated by sea at any time. Though Rubanya is back in control of the Imperial government now, the Emperor has refused to punish the leaders of either faction and has ordered Rubanya to refrain from attempting to interfere with Field Marshall Krulmuk's control of the Imperial Army.











Asnalyva
Lord of the Exchequer
nickname: "Baylo" ("Dollars")

Asnalyva was a member of the Loyalist Faction, but switched to the Reformist Faction during the recent "Crisis of the Regents". As Lord of the Exchequer, he has control over the Imperial Treasury. Possibly the most corrupt and wealthiest government official in the entire Empire. He is said to have more money than the Emperor himself, though that is probably an exaggeration.




Levorek Cledman
Councilor (no specific portfolio)
nickname: "A Vimmel" ("The Weasel")

Levorek is the primary leader of the Loyalist Faction on the Imperial Council. He is the Emperor's favorite nephew, but is the son of the Emperor's sister and is banned from ascending to the throne by custom and Imperial decrees by previous Emperors that ban inheritance of the throne through a female family member. This problem can be solved if the Emperor will issue a decree naming Levorek as the heir to the throne. The Emperor has hinted that he might do this, but hasn't yet done it and could die unexpectedly any day without getting around to it. Levorek does everything he can to please the Emperor. He also endeavors to preserve absolute authority for the Imperial throne on which he hopes one day to sit. Levorek has a strong interest in military and political affairs, but no actual military experience. In politics, however, he is an expert.

During the recent "Crisis of the Regents" (in the first month of the 41st year of the reign of Emperor Cledman VI) the Emperor fell ill and appeared near death. The Reformist Faction and the Loyalist Faction each attempted to seize control of both the government and the Imperial Army. Fighting had already begun and the Empire was on the brink of civil war when the Emperor recovered his health. In that crisis, Levorek was in control of the Zekran, the Imperial capital city and had the loyalty of most of the Imperial Army. During his brief rule, he carried out horrific massacres of his political opponents.











Krulmuk
Field Marshall, Imperial Army
nickname: "Vastluchesh" ("Bloodlust")

Krulmuk is the commander of the Imperial Army. He rose rapidly through the ranks and distinguished himself in battle fighting barbarians in the overseas provinces. He firmly believes that a military commander must lead from the front. He is a member of the Loyalist Faction at the Imperial Court and he strongly advocates expanding the imperial frontier and crushing dissent by force. He seems to enjoy combat a little too much, which is how he got his nickname.

During the recent "Crisis of the Regents" Krulmuk personally led an army that besieged the city of Yishil, the headquarters of the Reformist Faction. When the Emperor ordered an end to the fighting, Rubanya was restored to control of the government and demanded that Krulmuk be removed from command of the army. The Emperor refused to do this and forbade Rubanya to interfere in the affairs of the army which he left to Krulmuk. However, Rubanya managed to arrange for Krulmuk to be sent away from the capital to lead an army to the Overseas Provinces to fight off a barbarian invasion. In the event of any future conflict between the Loyalists and the Reformists, Krulmuk would find it difficult to return from the Overseas Provinces because the only feasible way back is by sea and the Imperial Navy is loyal to the Reformist faction.









Valast
nickname: "A Tamlish" ("The Sailor")
Grand Admiral, Imperial Navy

Valast is the commander of the Imperial Navy and is surprisingly young to hold such responsibility. Though the rest of the fleet is often in disrepair, his flagship, "Goddess of the Sea" is maintained in perfect condition with a crew of the best sailors in the known world. He truly enjoys sailing and seamanship to the point where he spends as little time as possible on land. He is usually absent from meetings of the Imperial Council for this reason. He is a member of the Reformist Faction on the Imperial Council.

During the recent "Crisis of the Regents" Valast kept the navy steadfastly aligned with Rubanya and the Reformists while the Imperial Army was split into factions. The Imperial Navy's role in blocking the movement of Loyalist forces by sea to the North Peninsula while ferrying Reformist troops to there was critical to preventing a Loyalist victory.












Baland
Councilor (no specific portfolio)
nickname: "A Nerstuk" ("The Traitor")

Baland is the only member of the Imperial Council who openly supports the separatist faction. He has been imprisoned in the dungeon of the Imperial Castle for this, but the Emperor apparently forgot to officially remove him from the council so technically he is still a member though he is imprisoned for treason. Baland is the only member of the Imperial Council who is not of Zekresh ancestry. He is a member of one of the Kikali tribes.

During the recent "Crisis of the Regents" the Loyalists had a quorum of the Imperial Council until Asnalyva switched sides. To get one more councilor so they would have a quorum and could declare Levorek regent, Baland was dragged out of the dungeon by the Loyalists to attend one more Imperial Council meeting.


To see news of the latest debates and actions of the Imperial Council and other news, look here.