Birzartanses
Birzartanses
Religion
Traditions
+25% Female Advisor Chance
+10% National Tax Modifier
+10% Governing Capacity Modifier
Elven Lands of BulwarFollowing the Arrival and the proclamation of the Phoenix Empire in 1006, elves settled throughout Bulwar, mainly as lords of the humans. The situation in South Bahar was quite different, as plagues, conflicts and harpy raids had led to many settlements being abandoned or depopulated. Amarien, the general of Jaher who had successfully ended the harpy raids in the area by burning the nest of the Sad Kuz in her liberation of the Gelkari shepherds, was awarded the fortress of Birsartansbar and the title of governor of Imulušes in 1009.\n\nMost saw it as a bad joke played by her close friend, given it was the weakest governorship of the new empire with the lands it encompassed in a pitiful state. But Amarien saw an opportunity in this devastation: she decided to recruit many of the elves that could not fight in the Legions, or who had already fought but had gotten injured (and left without a manor tended by humans to retire to), to immigrate to her lands. There they toiled the fields, rebuilt whole villages and cities and sponsored a strong elven culture in the hills and mountains\n\nNowadays, nowhere in Bulwar one finds so many sun elves as in Birzartanšes. Where the elves of Sareyand rule from their manors and only form a plurality at best, here whole towns are elven and you can walk throughout some remote countryside without seeing any human for miles.
-15% Cost of Advisors with Ruler's Culture
Legacy of ThunderhammerCannons and guns were seldom used in Bulwar: after all, elven mages were numerous and served the same purpose as artillery, breaking down walls and providing support to melee forces. But given Birzartanšes' many copper mines, and the tragedies of the internecine Birzartanšesi-Baharkandi war (1419-1423) and the following Dartaxes rebellion (1422-1436), it seemed to many that artillery would be safer than relying on mages.\n\nThe first great cannon of the Birzartanšes army was built by a dwarven engineer from Ovdal Tûngr named Ungrim Thunderhammer, and was at the time the biggest artillery piece outside the Dwarovar. Called Ordalanner in honor of his creator, the cannon was so massive it needed 50 oxen to be moved. This great weapon was instrumental in the siege of the great Dartaxerdim fortress of Kuzak in 1484, its fire shattering the walls in a way only the most powerful of archmages could match.\n\nThe country's early interest was only furthered as artillery progressed over the years, and as the safety of operating a cannon increased, the need for human or dwarven engineers was soon replaced by Sun Elves, who became experts in operating the machinery and the black powder. The royal artillery regiments became the pride of the Birzartanšes army and were feared all over Bulwar for their capacity in siege and on the battlefield.
+8% Artillery Combat Ability
+10% Siege Ability
The Birzartanšesi Examination SystemMost elven administrations populate their bureaucracy by relying on the aristocracy, recruited via privileged connections with the rulers and, of course, hereditary connections. This inevitably leads to corruption, notably among the Sun Elves, for a bad bureaucrat could remain at his post for centuries and deeply erode the proper running of the state.\n\nFollowing the Decades of Devastation and the revelation of many Sun Elven bureaucrats' mistakes and misconduct, Keladora I Birzartanzuir decided to revive the Jexisian system of examination that was the work of her grandfather Birzartan: Administration posts would be awarded only to those who could prove they were worthy of the position. They would do so by passing an examination that was the same for everybody, everywhere in the kingdom.\n\nThe new class of bureaucrats was still predominantly elven and from the old aristocracy, for only they could spend entire years studying for the examinations, but the testing process allowed the state to remove the corrupt and unsuitable administrators that had plagued it.
-0.1 Yearly Corruption
The Silsun Sirad EdictAs the Sun Elves were numerous in the lands of Western Bulwar, it was no surprise that despite the religious taboo on elf-human relationships, some mixing occurred. Rumours of half-elven bastards were pernicious, and deeply concerning to the authorities. The most popular one concerned Dartaxes' father and helped explain to many why this human family had grown to become officers in the Birzartanšesi army, even though Dartaxes himself denied it publicly. To ensure that this problem grew no further, the Jaherian Exemplars in Birzartanšes were tasked to apply the ‘Cleanliness of Blood' Edict, or in Sun Elven 'Silsun Sirad', which required every person applying to serve the state to demonstrate a pure ancestry in either human or elven blood.\n\nThe role of these Exemplars expanded over the years as they began to examine human villages and quarters for individuals who looked "too elven". By the late 1500s, their power was so great that they could even dare to publicly target a prince of the royal family. Taelar, grandson of Arantir and minor prince of the royal family, was caught in an affair with the palace singer and dancer Emmita Nuartu, and got her pregnant. For his impure actions he was publicly shamed and condemned to a life of atonement in a monastery; his mistress and daughter were disposed of.
-25% Harsh Treatment Cost
Birzartanšesi CelebrationWhile we appear to many as bureaucrats who do nothing but what can better the state, Birzartanšesi elves are renowned for their lavish feasts which attract artists and entertainers from all over Bulwar. Bureaucrats assist the production of theatre plays, banquets are filled with delicacies from Rahen or Sarhal, and they are punctuated by a massive masquerade dance.\n\nOriginating from the Jexisian rule and the Decade of Masks, Sun Elves' masquerades developed independently from the great Corvurian affairs. Prominent figures gather for a soirée during which they wear elaborate masks, drink the finest Jaherian Sunlight, and dance to the sound of famous bands from all over Bulwar. The masks they wear for the dance are then thrown at the end of the night in a great bonfire, in honour of Jexis the Burned. These pleasures allow the ministers and their advisors to fulfill their administrative duties with renewed purpose after having enjoyed such great joy and pleasure.
+1 Possible Advisors
The Pink CabinetScheming had been the favorite activities of the Sun Elves in Bulwar for much of their history: ambition is universal, and the death of Jaher and then of Jexis left a void that was only partially filled by the Sun Cult and the efforts of Taelarios. The Decades of Devastation, along with the Samartal disaster and subsequent investigations, showed to Birzartanšes' rulers that they lacked an efficient way to gather intelligence over their enemies and also in their own country.\n\nThus was created the Pink Cabinet in 1530, headed by Arfil Fajazuir, the elf who had first uncovered the truth of the Samartal tragedy, but had been sidelined by his superiors. This secret council gathered information from the state's rivals and also kept records on the actions of their bureaucrats in the country, ensuring no plot or treason ever came to fruition.
+20% Spy Network Construction
The State, and Nothing but the StateBulwar had become a divided and dark land by the 15th century: Elves fought each other while allowing old cultists and monsters to threaten once again the lands of Surael. The answers of the Sun Elves to the malaise that plagued Bulwar in the 15th century were diverse: Some turned towards magic, others sought guidance in the Sun Cult's faith, many sought to reinforce the supremacy of the elves; all to enforce their position as the true Phoenix Successor.\n\nBut in Birzartanšes, Keladora saw nothing but mere illusions in the endeavors of her neighbours. What would allow the Phoenix to rekindle its flames? It would be creating the perfect state, and putting the needs of the state above all else.\n\nShe was the one to craft the now famous ‘Kuil szel-Laded' (‘State Reason') philosophy, the idea that immoral actions could be justified if the state required it. No alliance, no scheme is impure for the ruler of Birzartanšes as long as it allows the state to protect its subjects.
-25% Unjustified Demands
Ambition
+1 Yearly Absolutism
History
TBD
Strategy
TBD