A Vassal-Lord's Guide to the Empire

IMPERIAL AUTHORITY

By the terms of the Northern Contract set by Emperor Yvor 18 years ago, the Crown has the following authority over vassal-lords:

-- Set/Adjust Tribute: The Emperor determines a proportion of income every vassal must pay to the Crown, from a minimum of 1 per 10 parts to a maximum of 1 per 4 parts.  Furthermore, the Emperor can adjust the tribute obligations of individual vassals according to the state of the vassal's economy and the needs of the Grand Survaek Empire.

-- Rally Banners: The Emperor calls on vassal-lords to raise armies for a campaign and gather at a designated location.  Every vassal called must promptly raise an army of at least 10,000.

-- (In)validate casus belli: The Emperor recognizes the right of a vassal to raise arms against another.  Legitimate casus belli include but are not limited to the following: dynastic claims, dispute over succession, responding to a violation of vassal sovereignty, or (as a last resort) settling a matter of honor.  This recognition need not necessarily happen before the war begins.  However, if the petition is rejected after hostilities have already commenced, the casus belli is invalidated.  In this case, the aggressor must pay whatever reparations the Emperor demands both to the defender and to the Emperor himself.

-- Grant Fiefdom(s)/Title(s): The Emperor gives one or more holdings or ranks to a vassal subject.  In almost all cases, this is simply a formality by which the Emperor recognizes the inheritance of a vassal-lord's fief and crown by their heir, in return for declaring fealty in a formal ceremony.  However, this authority also extends to such situations as dividing conquests, replacing defunct dynasties, and rewarding vassals who have served the Emperor well.

-- Revoke Fiefdom(s)/Title(s): The Emperor legally nullifies a vassal-lord's rank and authority over holdings.  This authority can only be used in extreme cases, generally as a response to treason or gross mismanagement.

-- Grant Independence: The Emperor releases a vassal-lord of their obligations and officially recognizes them as an independent sovereign.  While this authority technically exists, it has never been used in the history of the Northern Contract.  At least not yet.

IMPERIAL FORTRESSES

One of the first things you will notice about the Grand Survaek Empire is that it has Forts scattered across the continent, mostly concentrated in the South.  These are focal points for the Survaekom military and administration.  The closer you are to an Imperial Fort, closer you are to the eyes, ears, and claws of the Emperor.  Here are a few key points:

-- Forts are essentially compact Manors with no Luxury, no Settlement, Tier 1 Barracks, and Tier 3 in all other aspects.  However, they have unique defenses reflecting the advanced engineering of the Empire, and they can use their professional slots for both armies and navies.

-- Forts are not as self-sustaining as manors.  They depend on being networked with each other and the mainland.  If isolated, a fort cannot replenish losses.

-- Resource nodes directly adjacent to Forts are claimed and exploited by the Empire.

-- In addition to a General Retinue and an Admiral Retinue (if coastal/island), every Fort hosts an Imperial Secretary Retinue.  Some forts also have an Imperial Councilor Retinue, representing the imperial governor of a region.

-- The Imperial Fortress of New Byrnis is a unique case.  As Imperial Capital of the North, it is considered a full-scale, fully-upgraded Tier 5 Manor.   Its Castle Town is considered a large "city" with a Trading House, Arsenal, Commercial Port, Customs House, Fishing Port, Palace, every Imperial building, and unique Imperial Academy that trains imperial bureaucrats.  The Palace is the Court of the Vizier of the North, currently Ishui Seldu.

DIPLOMACY WITH THE EMPIRE

All vassals invariably find themselves dealing with Survaekom representatives at one point or another, whether a bureaucrat arriving to collect tribute or a commander "requesting" permission to station troops for a time.  But rarer is the vassal who has mastered negotiating with the Grand Empire on their own initiative.  However, with Emperor Vokoryn II finally looking North to hedge against the machinations of Vaekir Koen, now is the time for leaders with ambitions of imperial favor to make their move.  They would be wise to consider these guidelines:

-- There is no easy metric for measuring the Emperor's impression of you and your kingdom.  Look for symbolic gestures, and do your best to respond appropriately.

-- Personal visits from the Emperor are very rare, so diplomacy with the Grand Survaek Empire is generally mediated through the Imperial Bureaucracy, the Empire's administrative corps.  This institution has a system of ranks astute vassals will pay attention to to gauge how important a meeting is: (1) Councilor, (2) Secretary, and (3) Scribe.

-- The highest ranking Survaekom official permanently stationed on the continent is the Vizier of the North, currently Ishui Seldu.  He hosts yearly receptions for vassal representatives to bring petitions.  He may send or accept an invitation for a private audience with a vassal realm's monarch, but never with a mere representative.

-- The easiest and most dependable way to start a conversation with an imperial representative is to send a delegation to the nearest Imperial Fortress.  Negotiations will commence with the resident Secretary or one of their Scribes.

-- Always remember that who you send is just as important as what message you are sending.

THE IMPERIAL MILITARY

Outside of New Byrnis, the Grand Survaek Empire has few direct civilian subjects in the North to call upon as levies.  Furthermore, the Empire is loathe to hire foreign mercenaries, an act considered beneath the honor of Khaitis royalty.  Instead, Survaek depends on the known world's largest professional army and navy, the Surv-Akur and Surv-Vyaez (respectively).  Any vassal with dreams of independence or change in the imperial governance structure will almost certainly confront these forces.  Information on their composition is scant and not always reliable:

-- During the Conquest of the North, Surv-Akur forces were comprised almost entirely out of pike infantry, musketeers, artillery, and distinctive medium cavalry with swords and bows.  Similar soldiers continue to garrison the Imperial Fortresses and accompany imperial delegations.

-- Countless testimonies describe all manner of strange weapons and tactics "secretly observed" in Surv-Akur armories and drills.  No one account is particularly reliable, but what is certain is that the Southerners have advanced and refined their methods since the Conquest.

-- Survaekom ships are mostly galleys, but travelers and merchants report sailing ships larger and taller than any known in the North.  Rumor is among many sailors that these are not truly ships at all, but hulls towed by underwater sea monsters.

-- The best estimates of total Surv-Akur forces range from...

• 25,000 to 30,000 in the North
  
• 5,000-10,000 in the middle islands.
  
• 50,000-60,000 in the Survaekom mainland (unlikely to be sent North except in dire circumstances, and even then only half could leave the homeland)

-- The best estimates of total Surv-Vyaez forces range from...

• 30-40 galleys stationed in the North.
  
• 50-60 galleys and 15-25 caravels stationed in the middle islands
  
• 20-30 galleys and 5-10 great ships stationed in the Survaekom mainland