Luxerois Federation

The Luxerois Empire is the pride of the Imbringen Islands and is the largest territory controlled by a single kingdom. Originally founded by explorers who continued to chart the Imbringen islands after the first colonization it quickly grew to become the center of commerce, art, culture and religion. News of its founding attracted all races, including the reclusive elves, dwarves and gnomes, who flocked to the island nation as it continued to grow, adding their own culture and customs, while adopting those of the humans who had already made the land their own.

The heart of the Luxerois Empire is the grand city of Bioncourt, which sits in the center of the Imbringen Islands. The positioning of the island allows for the control of crucial trade routes that move between the other island nations and the natural defenses of the land surrounding the capital, including the natural harbor in the middle of the island give the city strong defensive capabilities. None the less there are many over the generations who have tried to forcefully take Bioncourt from the Luxerois Empire, and one can still find rusted blades and broken siege weaponry in the grounds surrounding the city if they care to look. Even the harbor is home to many a shipwreck, which has encouraged many would-be treasure seekers to dive into the depths of the harbor to recover whatever goods sunk with the ships of the invaders. Despite the many attempts to destroy the Luxerois Empire over the years, the island nation has only grown stronger over time as a result.

History
According to popular mythology within Bioncourt, it was not the act of a group of explorers alone that founded the Luxerois Empire, but rather, the will of Loramus, God of Prosperity, that saw the first settlers locate the region that would one day be known as the Grand-City of Bioncourt. As soon as the settlement was founded and word spread many traveled to this new location including merchants and soldiers, nobles and peasants. Any who looked for a new life were promised one within its walls and so Bioncourt grew from a simple village to a teeming metropolis. The culture of the city adapted as people from different backgrounds and races became citizens of the Luxerois nation and it became evident that the nation would need to expand if it was to house all of the people wishing to make the land their home.

And so the nation expanded and with the blessing of Aella adopted a new form of government, one that turned the simple nation of Luxerois into the Luxerois Empire.

Government
The Luxerois Empire is currently ruled by His Excellency Caupenne I, who holds title of both Emperor and Supreme Ruler of the Luxerois Empire. Unlike other Empires in the known world, such as the ancient Arathorian Empire, it was decreed by Aella, Goddess of Justice and Law, that the Emperor of Luxerois not be a position handed down from father to son, but a position that is awarded by the will of the people. From the time of the first Emperor, the people of Luxerois have gathered to decide who rules the Empire following the death of the previous Emperor. Once elected, the Emperor holds the position until he departs into the afterlife, this provides stability, as the Emperor does not change for many years, but it is also risky as those who are elected do not always live up to the promises they make to secure the position, even though it is considered a dishonorable act by the bulk of the populace.

To assist the Emperor in governing the Empire, the ruling Emperor works with a number of advisers and councilors which form a Grand Council which includes a number of high rank and low rank positions, with each member chosen by the Emperor himself. These positions, unlike the position of Emperor are not lifetime appointments, those chosen may be dismissed if they fail to maintain the duties of the position, are found to have committed a crime, or simply lack the support of their fellows. The Emperor himself may also dismiss a councilor or adviser depending on the situation. The most powerful positions within the Grand Council include the Grand Exchequer (who handles all matters concerning taxation), Minister for Trade (who governs all imports and exports into the Empire), Lord of the Sea (who commands the Luxerois Navy), Grand Master at Arms (who commands the Luxerois Army), Grand Master of Magic (who commands the magical forces of Luxerois) and the High Justice of Aella (who rules over the courts).

The Grand Council settles all affairs of state by popular vote. Some affairs are voted on by every single member of the Grand Council. These are generally simple matters that none the less require deliberation, such as what the Empire is to do during a poor harvest, or when the Empire will hold a ceremony to honor one or more of their gods. Other affairs which are far more critical, such as declarations of war and the positioning of military forces are decided by the high ranking positions only and are declared to be 'matters of importance'.

While the Grand Council can and does decide on the general affairs of the Empire, and even matters of extreme importance, their power pales in comparison to the Emperor himself. He can veto any decision made by the Council, along with any political appointments, he also has the power to call a Grand Council meeting, and he can, if he can if he so chooses, keep the Council in session until they agree to meet his demands on a particular issue, although this is considered a dishonorable act and is greatly frowned upon.

Locations of Note
The Plaza of Faith: The Plaza of Faith is located within the capital of Bioncourt and is the place where one can find temples and cathedrals dedicated to each of the nine gods and goddesses revered by the Luxerois Empire. Each of these cathedrals are grand monuments in their own right, embellished with precious metals and gems. Windows made from the finest stained glass show the gods and goddesses of the Luxerois Empire performing miracles and priests and priestesses can be found walking the corridors and the Plaza itself preaching the virtues of their chosen deity. Despite the significant number of gods and goddesses, there is no competition between the priests to gather worshipers, as all gods and goddesses are revered equally among the Luxerois people. In recent years however, two small followings have cropped up within the Plaza, each with a small temple that preach their own religions that are different from those of Luxerois. These religions were brought to the city by faithful traders and traveling missionaries and include the Holy Light, as revered by the people of the Eastern Kingdoms, and reverence of a race of beings known as the Titans, a religion which is followed by some Dwarves from the land of Khaz Modan.

Kragense Keep: This massive stone keep is located near Bioncourt and is the headquarters of the Luxerois military. Originally a fort created to provide protection for the settlement of Bioncourt, as the city grew and the Empire formed the simple fort expanded to allow for more soldiers to be housed, trained and fed. Now it is more like an armed citadel than a keep, with forges working day and night to ensure that the army is well equipped for whatever conflicts arise. While the keep is off-limits to most civilians, those who do get permission to venture inside the walls, can still see some of the original fort architecture in the middle of the keep, which is still well preserved even after so many years of operation.

The Mounds: A large area of land located in the sparse forests between the small villages of Kestrup and Idom, this region is filled with small hills which hide multiple burial mounds and mass graves. Armies that attempted to take the city of Bioncourt over the years have all been buried in this location, often without the proper funeral rites dictated by their own customs. This has led to the area being a place of high spiritual activity, with many malevolent spirits roaming the grounds at night punishing those who search for ancient treasures and trinkets buried in the mounds. During the day priests and priestesses of Aella and Tactris can be found wandering the mounds, attempting to quell the angered dead and release their spirits into the arms of Myreus and Uvion.

Brethenay: A large coastal city located to the north of Bioncourt, this city houses the dockyards for the Bioncourt Navy along with shipping and fishing ports, making it an integral (and as such well defended) settlement of the Luxerois Empire. Harbormasters and soldiers are often wandering the dockyard at all hours, making it difficult for potential smugglers to pass illicit goods through to the population of Luxerois. Currently Brethenay is ruled by Lord Grifon of House Vale.

Kravense: A coastal fortress and settlement, the position of this defensive structure gives it a perfect view of the seas approaching the coastal city of Brethenay, which makes the location the first line of defense for the city should a hostile navy approach from the west side of the island. At one point abandoned due to the death of the ruling lord, the fort was given to a young Chevalier of the Luxerois military, Gerard Chanteix on the condition that he repair it and protect the land around it with his own soldiers. While it has grown since the appointment of the young chevalier it has not yet become as prosperous as other major settlements such as Brethenay.