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Castaire Lettering
Motto
"Force par l'Unité" - "Power through Unity"
National Anthem
Ode to Joy
Capital
(and also largest city)
Lucrécy
Official Language Castairien
Demonym Castairien
Government
Form of Government Constitutional Monarchy
Empereur
(Head of State)
Stéphane IV (since 1742)
Heir to the Throne Lukrezia
Chancelier
(Head of Government)
Michel
Legislature
Upper House Counseil de l'Empire
Lower House Corps Législatif
Formation
Royaume de Chastain 964 AC[1]
Empire Castairien / Unification 1198 AC[2]
Official Data
Total Area 835,536 km²
Population (Nei. 1757)62,546,860
Currency ₵ouronne

The Castairien Empire (official name: Empire Castairien, pronunciation: [ɑ̃piʁ kasteʁjɛ̃] or short [kastɛʁ]), located in western Esradon, is a country whose territory consists of mainland Castaire and several colonies and overseas regions and territories.

Castaire's metropolitan area spans a combined area of 835,536 km², which, as of Neigouze 1757, has a population of 62.54 million people.[3] Castaire is a constitutional monarchy with its capital in Lucrécy, the country's largest city, and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban centres include Mallais, Lacrosse, Cherbeaux, Grasse, Vermelles, and Cousteille.

During the course of many centuries, the lands of what is now considered Castaire began to unite into smaller countries, known famously as the seven duchies, which are integral parts of the Empire. In 1000 AC, an ancestor of the ruling Sacrecouronne family founded the Kingdom of Chastain. 200 years later, Castorian I founded the Empire Castairien out of Chastain, Gardelegen, and Montataire.

The following centuries were characterized by wars against the remaining duchies as well as inner conflicts such as the Poison Plot and religious problems. Despite the difficulties of the period, the Empire maintained and enlarged its economical activities and became an important trade power. Since the 17th century, Castaire's aspirations relocated to the New World, where it is developing a colonial realm.

Etymology[]

History[]

Antiquity (6th century BC - 5th century AC)[]

Early Middle Ages (5th century - 10th century)[]

  • before 840

Before Charlain came to power and founded the Kingdom of Chastaine, the lands of Castaire were merely organized into several tribes who struggled for power in the region. One of the lesser of them was the Tribe of Chastain, settling in the central northern area, around the location of nowadays Lucrécy. They were a small tribe, but their homestead's location at the Violaine River granted them control over most of the river's flow. They used their influence to forge alliances with the surrounding tribes, mostly to protect each other against the invading northern Cantorian tribes. When in 840 Charlain came to power, the history would change soon.

  • Charlain (840 - 888)

The very first phase of Castairien integration started with Charlain's succession to the tribal head of the Chastain tribe. Within his 48 years of reign, he reformed the former tribes into a small, but powerful kingdom in northern Castaire. In 858 his vision of a united northern country came true, he founded the Kingdom of Chastaine, the center and source of imperial power until today.

  • Charlois (888 - 900)
  • Charlain II (900 - 920)
  • Cerisón (920 - 953)
  • Charlois II (953 - 977)
  • Cartelian (977 - 994)

Late Medieval Period (10th century - 15th century)[]

  • Cerisón II (994 - 1013)
  • Charlain III (1013 - 1018)
  • Casére (1018 - 1043)
  • Cerisón III (1043 - 1082)
  • Casére II (1082 - 1108)
  • Césaire (1108 - 1132)
  • Céolestin (1132 - 1159)
  • Constant (1159 - 1180)
  • Caestoire (1180 - 1214)

Caestoire's coronation of Roi de Chastaine followed his father's death in 1180. Eighteen years of a peaceful and wealthy time followed the coronation until 1198. In this year, Caestoire and his fellows made the decision to form an empire composed of Chastaine, Gardelegen and Merillon.

As the counts Sylvain de la Marvours (Merillon) and Marius Vermonte (Gardelegen) were long-time friends of Caestoire, their alliance had a stronger foundation than just plain politics. Together they fought the neighbouring realm of Cantoras in several pyrrhic wars and thus concluded a defensive alliance. Furthermore, Caestoire married Marius daughter, Lucrécria, strengthening the bonds between the families.

With the unification of Chastaine, Gardelegen, and Merillon, staging on 18th June of 1198, Castaire was promoted to an Empire. This binded the title of the actual leader as Empereur de Castaire to the current ruler of Chastain, thus rendering Chastaine's successive line the same as of the Empire. In regards to their loyal fellowship, Caestoire promoted Marius to Grand Duc du Gardelegen and Sylvian to Duc du Merillon. Caestoire invited his fellows to join his Grand Conseil, the primary governing body that had existed for several centuries.

Since 1206, the newly composed lands experienced extraordinary economic advancement and a long time of peace and welfare. Many new cities and villages were established throughout the land and the trade between them and the old cities saved the prosperity of the people. They began to form organisations like the Miltmore Trading Guild to achieve even more profit.

  • Césaire II (1214 - 1229)

Césaire II was the second child and first son of Castorian and Lucrécia. He ascended the throne after his fathers death in 1214 and became one of the most aspiring Empereurs of Castaire. His rule saw the preparation of the accession of both Exermont and Keravel, two important counties bordering Castaire, bearing immense amounts of resources and thus being crucial for the further economic advance of Castaire.

In 1215, several trade agreements were negotiated between Castaire, Exermont, and Keravel, as well as non-aggression pacts. For Castaire, an aspiring nation further relying on trade, the southern harbours of Keravel were of interest as well as the rich iron ore deposits in Exermont. Thus, the agreements saw the trade of iron ore for military support and defense. In 1224, a treaty was concluded with Exermont making it a de facto part of the Empire, but retaining its own governmental bureaus.

  • Césaire III (1229 - 1239)
  • Césaire IV (1239 - 1250)
  • Céolin (1250 - 1256)

Exermont eventually joined the Empire in 1253 following a severe diplomatic incident. Arch Prelate Herifred von Coltz invaded Exermont in order to annex its rich ore deposits, but was eventually stopped by the Armée Impériale, which was called into action by the government of Exermont. Following that, Exermont joined the Empire, but Keravel remained suspicious, as their primary trade interests were not inflicted.

  • Corand (1256 - 1276)

In 1263, the male line of the Landivisiau family perished, and Césaire's brother, Clement, who was married to Charlotte de Landivisiau, the last offspring of that family, became co-regent.

  • Constant II (1276 - 1293)

Constant II followed his father and ascended to the throne in 1276. He was married to Claire Grennequis, the heiress of the Duché du Keravel. Eventually, Keravel joined the Empire de Castaire following diplomatic actions and a dowry treaty in 1282.

  • Corand II (1293 - 1323)

In 1306, the political situation regarding the southern border became highly dangerous as another branch of the Alborañ family of Escaloña came to succeed in Tremal, an area between the Castairien and Escaloñian borders. As it was nearly impossible for the Empire to defend its borders with Tremal, and the Escaloñians even threatening Castaire with thoughts of further annexations, Stéphane declared war in November 1306 and sent his armies to Tremal. Known as the Guerre d'Hiver (Winter's War), Castaire obtained the duchy of Tremal, renamed it to Trimouille and made it a formal part of its Empire. The later ducal family Troucoise, namely its head, Atticus Troucoise, was engaged in the conflict and acted as the Empereur's personal field marshal, commanding the soldiers. Therefore, he was honoured with the the title of Duc du Trimouille.

  • Constant III (1323 - 1340)

One of the first situations the new Empereur was confronted with was the uprising in Landivisiau, whose aim was to overthrow the imperial rule and become independent again. The people of Landivisiau were mainly split into two parties, the Reformists and the Independents. Louen Lesmoines, Head of the Reformists, wanted to stay in the Empire as Landivisiau's position would be quite dangerous without the support of Castaire. Nonetheless, he suggested several reforms of the governing system, mainly granting the duchies more autonomy from The Crown. The uprising was quelled by the imperial troops, but Constant decided to give Landivisiau its autonomy back and made Lesmoines Duc du Landivisiau, reassuring the agreement of the Landivisian people.

  • Constant IV (1340 - 1368)

The last of the current duchies, Lanthenas, officially joined the Empire in 1342, following several maritime raids of its harbours by the Escaloñian fleets. Thus, the Empire reached its current number of constituent states with the last treaty in 1342.

  • Céolin II (1368 - 1392)
  • Césaire V (1392 - 1424)
  • Céolestin II (1424 - 1451)
  • Céolestin III (1451 - 1474)

At this time, the urgent need for a new capital arose. Chastaine and each of the duchies had their own capitals, but there was no representative city that could truly be called the capital. Céolestin assigned a team of architects to plan a new city at the fields near the river Violaine. This city got the name of the first Empereur's wife, Impératrice Lucrécia, in a slightly adapted version, "Lucrécy". The architects started planning in 1453 and the construction of the first streets was envisaged for Neigouze of 1455. This, however, wasn't achieved, as the cold winter made any building tasks nearly impossible, so construction finally started in the spring of 1456. In the following years, Lucrécy developed into a prosperous city and attracted more and more settlers to soon become the most populous city of the Empire.

  • Céolestin IV (1474 - 1485)

Empereur Céolestin IV was the actual architect of Lucrécy, as the construction of the current cityscape started under his name. He loved architecture and consulted several great architects. Célestin had many helpful meetings in which some of the city's most important buildings were mainly planned, like the old theatre, the Cathedral of the Ten Angels, the town hall, and the courtyard. No wars occurred during his reign. His rule was commonly known as the Era of Peace, which ended under the reign of his son.

Early Modern Period (since 15th century)[]

  • Céolestin V (1485 - 1503)

Céolestin V used his power mainly for warfare and conquered various smaller border territories to feed the Empire. Therefore, he got many imperialistic accusations, which were later fundamentally declared in the Céolestine Doctrine, a document which should lead the policy of the Empire for the next 200 years. It consisted of several state theoretic arguments which were important for the persistence of the realm in the eyes of the leading politicians. It declared that only war can be used to contain hostile ambitions of surrounding nations, so it was used as justification for all latter wars fought by the Empire.
As Céolin's son, the Prince Impériale, died 5 years before his father, he proclaimed his nephew to be the next Empereur when he reached adulthood. In consequence, the next Empereur was Céolin III, son of Céolestin's brother, Claude, and his wife, Claire.

  • Claude (1503 - 1510 (regent)) & Céolin III (1503 - 1540 (crowned Empereur))

Before Céolestin V died in 1503, on his deathbed, he proclaimed that his nephew, Céolin, would be the next Empereur. Since Céolin was underage, Claude, Céolin's father, formally took over government duties and ruled in his son's stead until 1510, when Céolin was coronated at the age of 15. The 7 years between Céolin's proclamation, coronation, and acquisition of governance was a disturbing time for the people of Castaire. Claude, the Régent Impérial, was a completely unable ruler and maneuvered Castaire into several wars, also with its constituent state Gardelegen. In the course of war, after imperial regiments passed the border without any declaration of war, Gardelegen separated from the Empire and struck back, defeating a whole army of imperial soldiers. The military staff in Lucrécy was shocked about this progression and soon looked for a possibility to make peace with Gardelegen. Gardelegen accepted the peace petition only under the condition that the Régent Impérial was unseated. The government followed this condition and forced the father of the Empereur to abdicate his position in 1508. Until 1510, a council of 10 important nobleman controlled the fate of the Empire. This was the birth of the Counseil de l'Empire, a board to support the Empereur in his governmental tasks.

Following Céolin's coronation and the mishaps caused by his father, Claude, a peaceful era followed for Castaire. Unlike his father, Céolin was not interested in war and claiming territory for the Empire. Instead, he was more interested in furthering Castaire's prosperity, similar to his great grandfather. A time of peace for Castaire arose along with great economic growth, which made the commonfolk of Castaire like Céolin quite much. The Empereur stamped his name into Castairien history as being a benevolent ruler who took a strong stance against the warmongering nature of the previous Empereur and ruled with a great degree of serenity, giving him the moniker, Céolin the Tranquil, or Céolin le Tranquille. As Céolin famously said, "War? Why not peace?"

  • Corand III (1540 - 1559)
  • Céolestin VI (1559 - 1580)
  • Stéphane (1580 - 1604)
  • Stéphane II (1604 - 1616)
  • Seraphin (1616 - 1642)
  • Stéphane III (1642 - 1678)

Stéphane III, "the Distant," or "le Éloigné," became Empereur in Fleurcin of 1642. While his predecessors ambition were mainly focused on internal affairs, Stéphane became far more interested in the New World and bolstered the foundation of permanent settlements in eastern Seraphia. Many of the settlers dreamed of a better life in the oversea territories, but found themselves confronted with unexpected threats like unknown diseases and exotic soil, making farming with their known crops nearly impossible. They got help both by the government, which sent food with large convoys, and the native Seraphians, who taught them to farm corn, a crop completely unknown in Esradon back then. The foundation of New Castaire or Nouvelle Castaire, marked an important point for the development of the Castarien overseas empire. Starting with a mere 13 colonies, they quickly expanded in the uncontested territory and became the most populous colony in Seraphia within just 20 years. Several other colonial expeditions led to the foundation of La Célestiane and the acquisition of the Grandes et Petites Antaries.

  • Nathanaël I (1678 - 1712)
  • Nathanaël II (1712 - 1742)

The coronation of Nathanaël II marked another point of change in the history of Castaire. Following his peaceful father, the politics of Castaire would be changed, almost overnight. Nathanaël II wanted to reform Castaire into not only the major Esradonian military power, but to a military hegemon, powerful enough to stop each and every other country. His 30 year long reign saw numerous conflicts with the surrounding countries, with two large wars emerging from his ambitions.

The first was the Escaloñian War, where Castaire wanted to seize the possessions of Escaloña in the New World. The conflict escalated and the two countries bordering each other attacked their heartlands in Esradon, causing terror and fear amongst the populace of the affected areas. Eventually, Castaire was able to obtain an advantage and formally acquired the Escaloñian colonies in Northern Seraphia in the Peace of Caliers. This was in exchange for some of the Empire's Borçalian territories.

The second large war, the Grand War Against Cantoras, was responsible for marking the ending point of the developing Canto-Castairien relationship for the time being. Stéphane, Nathanaël's eldest son, and Belle, daughter of King Arthur VI of Cantoras, were childhood friends and seemingly became even closer. Politicians from both countries advocated for a royal marriage, to end the century-long conflicts between the two countries. Nathanaël decided to not listen to their counsel, as he wanted to annex the southern parts of Cantoras because of their rich gold deposits. So he instigated an event where a Cantorian battalion seemingly attacked a border garrison of Castaire. Using this incident as a justification for war, he had all the regiments mobilized and brought war to the northern neighbour. Countless bloody battles were fought, with an eventual stalemate forming. Within the Siege of Grantham in 1741/42, both the Cantorian King, Arthur (Brumonze 31st 1741), and Empereur Nathanaël (Venteux 17th 1742) died, leaving their children Fabius and Stéphane to inherit the thrones in quick succession. The war was ended with a peace treaty, ensuring the Status Quo Ante Bellum.

Besides his warmongering, he eventually achieved his ambitious goal to transform Castaire into a military hegemon. His lifelong wars left the other belligerent nations in Esradon in a pale state, whereas Castaire was able to absorb the costs of the war because of its great economy and large population. Castaire emerged as the sole, but pyrrhic victor of 30 years of fighting in Esradon, thanks to countless reforms and adaptations to the military system. Nathanaël's son, Stéphane, inherited an effective, powerful army and an excellent navy, allowing for far more ambitious projects in the future.

Following his father's death, Stéphane ascended the throne on Venteux 18th, 1742, and was coronated on Rosix 21st, 1742. As stated above, one of his first acts as Empereur was ending the war with Cantoras, restoring peace and stability to both countries. This granted him enormous popularity within both Castaire and Cantoras, because many saw the war as unjustified. Around a month after his accession, he married Princess Belle of Cantoras, making her Impératrice of Castaire and deepening the ties with Cantoras.

His reigning period comprises a peaceful time in heartland Castaire and thus an increase of wealth and economic power, the lands and oversea territories are flourishing, following the many reforms of Stéphane and Belle. In Neigouze 1754, tragedy struck the imperial family, when Belle died of a still unknown disease, leaving her husband and children in deep sorrow. Both the nobility and population of Castaire and Cantoras mourned for their beloved princess/empress, further uniting the countries.

Recently, Castaire was able to acquire the Parayan region from the Aksharian subcontinent, which is located at the mound of the largest river there. Parayan is the most economically affluent region in Akshara, so such an acquisition is very beneficial for Castaire in the long run.

Since the King of Cantoras, Fabius III, has no children, there is a fear for a succession war, with Castaire supporting Princess Lukrezia's rightful claim to the throne. The other great powers of Esradon already started forming alliances and supporting candidates from the high nobility, with Cantoras itself mostly favouring Lukrezia due to her being the daughter of Belle.

Geography[]

Location and borders[]

The majority of Castaires territory and population is situated in western Esradon. It is bordered by the Mer du Nord in the north, the Archonic Ocean in the west and the ... in the south/southeast. It land borders consists of Cantoras in the north, several Reikenlandian territories in the east and Escaloña in the south and southwest.

Climate[]

Castaire is situated between the western oceanic and the eastern continental climate in a zone of temperate climate, with warm summers and mild winters. The eastern parts have a more continental climate, so the winters there can be very cold and the summers very warm.

Environment[]

Biodiversity[]

The dominating ecoregion of Castaire are forests, which cover around a third of the total area (31.9%). The rest is either covered by arable land (50.8%) or consistent pastures (11.8%). Only 5.5% consists of cities, settlements or streets. The forests consists of mainly deciduous trees like oaks and beeches, while in the mountain regions there are more spruce and fir trees.

Politics[]

The Empire Castairien is a federal state under a constitutional monarchy. The Empereur as monarch is the head of state of the Empire. The monarch has absolute power, but almost never even uses a bit of it and gave complete control to the government. The Constitution Castairien is codified, but often supplemented by imperial patents or parliamentary decisions. There is no evident difference between ordinary statutes and constitutional law, so the Parlement can perform constitutional reforms by simply passing new acts, and thus has the power to change or abolish almost any part of law. Nonetheless, there is no possibility to pass laws that future Parlements cannot change.

Government[]

Castaire Flag

Main article: Government of Castaire
The Empire Castairien is governed parliamentarily, with the Parlement Impérial subdivided into two chambers, the elected Corps Législatif and the appointed Conseil de l'Empire. All bills passed are given Assentiment Impérial before becoming law. The position of Chancelier, the Empires head of government, belongs to the person most likely to command the confidence of the Corps Législatif; this person is typically the leader of the political party or coalition of parties that holds the most seats in that chamber. The Chancelier chooses a cabinet of designed ministers to lead the government. It's members are formally appointed by the monarch and act at His will. By convention, the monarch respects the political decisions of the Chancelier, but has the power to intervene.

Law[]

The most important collection of laws is the Constitution Castairien, which was concluded in 1450 AC as the base of the freshly unified empire. It explains the way the Empire works.
The rights of any inhabitant of Castaire are protected by the Grand Rule Book, the basic law written by Prince Hakno the Great, an important statesman of the Empire. The law supervision is the task of the Imperial Supreme Court (located in Lucrécy) and the smaller courts in every city, called the Peoples Court.

Administrative divisions[]

Castaire consists of some smaller, former independent countries unified in 1200 AC by Empereur Castorian I. The most important and also the biggest part is of course Chastain itself, with its capital Lucrécy. Besides Chastain, several duchies were unified into the Empire in 1200 AC. These also shape the administrative regions of the EC.
Sacrecouronne Coat of Arms Small
Chastain Île-de-Chastain Lucrécy
Favorite
Saroir
Saint-Stéphane
Mallaisne Mallais
Marchaux
Lurette
Vallérive Louvois
Ivoiry
Aulaines
Portrange Liramond
Torville
Éstrange
Gardelegen Coat of Arms
Gardelegen Deux-Rivières Vermelles
Caluire
Noirelle
Orléandre
Grasse-Batôn Grasse
Rougillon
Bâtonaire
Côtroit Valloton
Lille
Eregard
Exermont Coat of Arms
Exermont Côte d'Argent Vornay
Besanneau
Revéres
Roiville
Strasbourg
Montataire Coat of Arms
Merillon Nord-Ecolien Montbarrois
Valbourg
Gennevers
Everlare
Lucien-Gercole Gercole
Cosarte
Rougny
Lanthenas Coat of Arms
Lanthenas Massif Impérial Chavot
Voualliers
Revogné
Salins-les-Mayes
Grande Rampart Bayonne
Caliers
Venaissôn
Keravel Coat of Arms
Keravel Côte Saphire Cousteille
Beauçeire
Eudenne
Jardinois Fleury
Nimes
Vamence
Trimouille Coat of Arms
Trimouille Beaux-Vallée Bretigney
Cherbeaux
Castilliere
Ferrole Ferçienville
Ordenant
Pentroit
Landivisiau Coat of Arms
Landivisiau Pointe Nord Satillieu
Lacrosse
Portsolent
Finisterre Louisebourg
Belle-Île
Lamballe

Foreign Relations[]

The foreign politics of the Empire are related to the current Empereur. Empereur Nathanaël II for instance, had a very aggressive policy of expansion while Castorian I and Stéphane IV are more peaceful statesmen. Today, Castaire isn't integrated into any war and has amicable relations to its neighbors.

Relations to

  • Cantoras
The former nemesis of Castaire is now one of their most important trade partners. In the past, several wars were fought between those two great powers, but eventually and after the marriage of Cantorian princess Belle with Steve, the relations drastically improved.
  • Escaloña
The most important rival of the Empire borders Castaire in the south, the actual boundary line being a constant problem and often ending in armed conflicts. Escaloña has a giant colonial realm, especially in Borcalia, the southern continent of the "New World", and thus is protected by an enourmous fleet nearly equivalent to the imperial naval power.
  • Rothenia
Relations to the Grand Prince are pretty amicable. As Rothenia's eastern frontier is harsh and frigid, Castaire often sends food to support the people, not to mention, it also has serious amounts of fur imported from Rothenia, thus boosting the relations even further.
  • Prussien
A small state at the northern coast of Reikenland, this nation strives to find its place amongst the worlds great powers. As Prussien is the rival to Osterlitz, Castaire supports it to create a counterweight to the Lichtenau realm. Though Prussien has ambitions to unite Reikenland and form a new empire, this is neither anticipated nor will be tolerated by Castaire, because this would endanger its own hegemonial position.
  • Česky-Mirava
A rather small nation located directly between Prussien and Osterlitz, it needs a partner to support it to not become overwhelmed by its aspiring neighbours. This was found in Castaire, whose imperialty have amicable relations to the ruling family of Česky-Mirava.
  • Frennmærk
A former unimportant nation, which has become part of the international stage through the acquiration of spacious territories in the "New World" and thus became a colonial power. Prince Florian is engaged to its crown princess, Estelle Christina Marie.
  • Osterlitz
An important archduchy in the southern part of Reikenland, Osterlitz is (beneath Escaloña) the second opponent to Castaire, aspiring in gaining the full control of whole Reikenland and (like Prussien) trying to unify it to a powerful counterweight to the Empire in its west.
  • Portamundo
As a colonial power, Portamundo mainly focuses on its overseas possessions and thus is not part of any treaty with Castaire, though it has very good relation to its "big brother" Escaloña, thus being a possible opponent in any future war.
  • Ventalicci
Ruling the southern part of Esradon, Ventalicci is a powerful kingdom and often allied to Osterlitz when they tried to end the Castairien hegemony. Furthermore, Castaire has several claims (through heirage) to Ventaliccis northern territories like Geneve and Luccio.

Military[]

The military of Castaire, commonly known as Forces Armées Impériales, is split into 4 parts, the Armée Impériale, the Marine Impériale, the Armée de l'air Impériale and the Garde Impériale.

Armée Impériale

Castaire Army
Main article: Armée Impériale
 
The Armée Impériale is the biggest part of the Castairien Military, as it consists of 750.000 soldiers protecting the Empire from any enemies. The most known appearance of the army was the war against Cantoras 1738 - 1742, where they defeated the Cantorian army. They are clothed into red uniforms, so they are often called the "imperial redcoats".

Marine Impériale

Castaire Navy
Main article: Marine Impériale
 
The Marine Impériale is the naval wing of the Castairien Military, consisting of 100.000 soldiers, sailors and also supporting troops. This number includes also the Marine Soldiers. While the sailors are clothed in blue uniforms, their officers got a dark blue, and the Marine Soldiers are wearing red uniforms as their terrestrial counterparts.

Armée De L'Air Impériale

Castaire Airforce
Main article: Armée De L'Air Impériale
 
The Armée de L'Air is a relatively new part of the Military, founded just 74 years ago. There are 50.000 men engaged in the airforce. With more than 90 airships and several smaller vessels it is the strongest airforce in the world. Some of their airships can float by the help of magic whilst others have newly invented steam engines to create the power needed to fly.

Division des Gardes

Main article: Division des Gardes
 
The Guards Division comprises the most elite units of the Armed Forces, consisting of 7 500 soldiers protecting the Emperor and his family. The members are the best trained men of the whole Empire and for sure able to prevent any attempted assassination on the Imperial Family. They wear the normal red uniforms of the Empire, but with golden epaulettes, golden sashes instead of the normal white ones and a golden border at their tricornes.

Economy[]

The Empire Castairien is an advanced country, with the government being heavily invested in directing the economic growth. Stately manufactories, exclusive concessions and investments secure a stable and steady growth. Private investments are often coupled with government investments, as there exist "mixed businesses". Private and government capital is used to allow the industry to delve into areas which require fundamental research and would be too risky for private investors alone (e.g. electrical current and the construction of airships). That classifies the economic system of Castaire as some kind of a mixed social economy. Because of this, Castaire has emerged as a highly innovative and advanced country, already making use of steam power and electricity, both of which were invented or discovered by Castairien scientists. Science and research are important topics both for private investors and the government, and both are encouraged by the monarchy as they provide useful gadgets for everyday life, contributing to a high reputation of science within Castairien society. Castaire has the largest and most capable national economy of the world, caused by highly skilled labour force, a large capital stock and a nearly non-existant level of corruption. The welfare and prosperity of the Empire is mainly based on their labour efficiency, high working moral and innovativeness. This is furthermore supplemented by the fact that Castaire is able to produce all needed basic goods by themselves, making them nearly independent from foreign imports.[4] Still, Castaire imports large amounts of rare resources into the country and refines them into various luxury goods. Thus, the Castairien economy is mainly based on the export of high quality goods, like tools, machines and luxury goods like clothes and wine.

Infrastructure[]

Most of the Castairien streets are cobbled and paved, and several rivers flow through the country, enabling ship traffic. Lucrécy is the most important hub for both traffic and trade, as it accommodates both the Imperial Airport and a big harbor, from where most of the trade of Castaire is processed.

Luxury Goods[]

The production of luxury goods is one of the most profitable branches of industry for the Empire. Especially the production of highest quality jewelry and goldsmithery is a Castairien flagship branch. The processing of precious metals like gold and usage of gems found in Liramond became one of the most lucrative sources of income for the Empire, as the Liramond mines are a rarity on the continent, being one of the few places where gems can be found. (Gold-)Smithery provides the most income (in form of taxes) for the state and is thus one of the reasons for Castaire's prosperity.  Castaire's second token product is wine. Many of the best and most expensive wines come from Castaire, the names Cherbeaux and Mallais being internationally recognized as sources of wines of utmost qualities. These wines are exported to many foreign nations, where especially the wealthier stratas favour them for their taste and quality. Some goldsmiths also provide magical artifacts, supported by magicians in the fabrication process. Those magical artifacts are able to perform various tasks, for instance protecting the owner from illnesses. More mighty artifacts are kept in the vaults of Palais Castaire as they could cause problems amongst the people. The most important artifact, the so called Glaciem Scepter, is the scepter worn by the Empereur de Castaire. Its actual amount of power is only known by the archmages and the Imperial Family.

Demographics[]

Major Cities[]

Religion[]

The most people of Castaire are followers of Cadriel, the Heavenly Lord. There exist some other religions, but they are minor related to the overwhelming member figure of the Cadrielistic Church, which is 95% of the overall population.

Language[]

The spoken language of Castaire is Castairien, as well as it is the official language of the Empire. Castairien is the high language derived from the Chastaine dialect, with several other dialects existing in the Empire, especially its border regions towards Cantoras, Escaloña and Reikenland.

Education[]

The percentage of literate people in Castaire is the among the highest in the world, mainly based on its education system. Nearly everyone in the Empire is at least able to read, write and compute simple tasks. The normal way of education is the attending of a school, which lasts from the age of 6 to the age of 16, so the young inhabitants get 10 years of compulsory education. After the successful exams at the end, they are able to either visit different universities, cadet schools (for military careers), Cadrielistic colleges or the Magician Academy. Except from that, Castaire has also taken a concept from Reikenland called an "apprenticeship" (Ausbildung in Reikenian), where young people work and learn a profession directly from an artisan, with said apprentices making up a large amount of the skilled workforce of Castaire. University absolvents are small in numbers and mostly serve the government in highly important positions.

Health[]

The health system in Castaire is built upon a base structure of many hospitals, at least one in every city. In those hospitals, the doctors are using "normal" pharmacy products as well as magically infused talismans to heal the people. Because the health system is sponsored by the government, every inhabitant is able to afford a doctor in worse cases.

Magic[]

Magic is very important in Castaire, since most people rely on it. The magicians sell everyday items, usable for nearly any purpose. The magicians are organized in the Magicians Guild, whose headquarter is the Magician Academy. The guild owns at least one building in every city, where people can ask for assistance by the magicians. They are rewarded with money by the satisfied people.
  In past times, the magicians were a great support for the Empereur as he ruled alone without a parliament, but since the parliaments establishment, the power of them decreased and they lost their influence on the politics of the Empire. Today, the magicians are represented with some seats in the parliament, where they are a minority, and the Empereurs advisor is one of the members of the high council of the magicians order.

Culture[]

Castaire derives its rank both in Esradon and in the world from several peculiarities of its distinguished culture. Castaire is often called La Grande Nation, and lives to that reputation, with parts of its culture exported not only to its colonies, but often imitated by foreign courts to mimic the splendour of the imperial court.

Art[]

Castairien art is recognized throughout the world as being of exquisite quality and remarkable realism, adding to the rich cultural heritage of the Empire. Imperial and private patronage allowed talented painters to pursue their passion, with their paintings valued and decorating many of the wealthier homes in Castaire. Several art galleries in the larger cities also show the most important works of artists, with the most valuable ones decorating the hallways, galleries and rooms of the imperial residences. Said patronage also allows the artists to actually draw what they intent (or what the commissioner wants), resulting in a wide array of depicted situations, both fantastic and realistic.

Architecture[]

As Castaire has a long history, its architecture changed over the centuries. From the ancient empires who left their marks in many of Castaire's city blueprints, some traces can be found in especially the older cities. Remaining amphitheatres or bridges crossing large rivers are the most remarkable and still important of them. Several buildings from the medieval age, especially sacral buildings like the churches and cathedrals of many Castairien cities, remain until this day, often still in use. The predominant style of them was Gothic architecture, with high rising, pointed arch windows and decoratives spires. With renaissance emerging from Ventalia, and the following re-discovering of ancient building techniques, Castairien architects developed an own interpretation of that style. Many of the local nobles had their medieval castles renovated to renaissance castles, changing the view of the countryside all over Castaire. (Classicistic) Baroque emerged in the following, spreading from Castaire to most other esradonian nations, further developing the renaissance style and introducing various new elements, especially in garden and landscape architecture. The new style combines a "marriage" between a building and its surroundings, resulting in some truly breathtaking gardens like the ones of Palais Castaire in Lucrécy. One of the main ideals is a strong symbolism, not only in the building itself, but the combination of whole areas: the absolute power of the Castairien monarchy could subdue even nature to its wishes. A specialty of Castairien architecture is the usage of coloured plaster for many of its buildings, often using different shades of red and yellow to set a contrast to the often white (marble or quartz) columns used for structuring the facades. High and large windows to light up the inner rooms as well as many towers and spires are also some features recurring in Castairien architecture. Because of the elegance and beauty of the style and Castaire's cultural and political importance throughout the continent, the style is often imitated in other nations, with several regional differences and adaptations.

Literature and Philosophy[]

As Castaire is known worldwide as a nation of intellectual people, its literature and philosophy is also very important for the welfare and knowledge of the Empire, as the authors and philosophers provide many books for the people to read.

Fashion and Design[]

Through the past few decades, fashion has been evolving rapidly with new fashion trends being picked up from other countries or regions of the world. After all, Castaire is the hearth of continental fashion in this era, tying back to the glamor and opulence of the imperial court. In fact, most fashion trends in Esradon are first started by the imperial family and Castairien nobles, then gradually diffuse to surrounding countries, so on so forth. This allows Castaire to stay up to date and capitalize on the latest fashion trends and even change it up, pulling from foreign fashion styles to craft something distinctive and of the utmost elegance and perfection.

One very notable fashion trend that has been picked up by not only Castaire, but other Esradonian nations, is the justaucorps, a knee-length coat with prominent cuffs that is left unbuttoned to show off the waistcoat. The renowned justaucorps serves as the main men's dress during this time. This dress includes components that have been borrowed from Southern Orientian clothing styles, especially from the sherwani, a widely recognized Aksharian aristocratic garb. But as for Castaire's case, Castairien justacorps are a bit less "humble," if you will. Unlike Cantorian or other styles of justaucorps which are generally simpler and made out of more "practical" materials that are better suited for the outdoors, Castairien aristocrats, on the other hand, love utilizing expensive fabrics that are beautified with lovely brocade arranged in contrasting patterns, gold embroidery of the finest quality, etc. This is paired with fine silk cravats, jabots fitted with a brooch, breeches, matching stockings, and buckled shoes. Even the buckles on shoes are of the most splendid grade, often adorned with gems, precious metals, intricate designs, and are constructed out of the most superior leather. Sometimes gloves are worn, but this trend hasn't really caught on per say.

As for Castairien noblewomen, it is the exact same story, absolutely festooned with extravagance. Women in this day and age prefer wearing petticoats, hoop skirts, panniers, stays, etc. But as usual, Castairien iterations of these clothing items are much more luxurious with colorful designs, adornments, stomachers, and portraiture that are designed to make dresses as alluring and flashy as possible. Women also love wearing jewelry, it is definitely common to see noblewomen wearing earrings, necklaces, and other types of jewelry to display their wealth. Additionally, women's shoes vary from men's shoes because they are commonly made out durable fabrics instead of leather, enabling for even more decorative possibilities. Matching long gloves are an habitual item for women, along with luxuriant fans that women use to not only flaunt with, but also cool themselves when needed.

As for headwear, both men and women are seen to wear hats. Men wear the iconic tricorne hat that can be both be more towards the plain side, but also the sumptuous side, with gold-trimming, deluxe fabrics, and feathers. However, it is much more common for men to don powdered wigs, another iconic Esradonian fashion trend. Women's hairstyles are rather classy too with fancy, tall wigs being frequently worn.

A new trend has begun to take the Castairien spotlight through the years, this is the Empereur's uniform. Decades ago, Empereur Nathanaël II implemented a unique and seemingly unfamiliar military uniform for personal use, and personal use only. This new uniform was very astonishing to the imperial court as nobles have never seen anything like it, it wasn't the usual justaucorps and was single-breasted, complete with epaulettes, orders, and a sash. Anyhow, the current Empereur, Stéphane IV de Castaire, has also adopted it, in a sign of open rebellion towards the rulership of his father, who never allowed him to don such a uniform. Gradually, this uniform, alien to the imperial court at first, has begun to spread and be adopted by men in high-ranking court positions. It is to be seen where this trend is taken to.

Festivities[]

Castaires festive days are the most cadrielistic ones as well as some very own and special ones.

Castaires most prevalent holiday is the Jour de l'Unité, marked by the coronation of Castorian as the first sovereign ruler and Empereur de Castaire on Rosix 18 1198. This day is celebrated every year by grand parades, large festivities and feasts and is crowned by a ceremonial coronation and speech of the ruling Empereur in the evening, staging in Sacre-Cœur de Lucrécy. This is the only national holiday with a firm date, the others may vary.

Anniversaire de l'Empereur or Emperor's Birthday is the second national holiday of Castaire and is celebrated at the birthday of the current Empereur. It is up to the Monarch if other birthdays of His family might be celebrated in a similar manner, but it is quite common to have the birthday of the Prince(sse) Impérial(e) celebrated as well, but in a less lavish manner. Breathtaking parades throughout this day, free food and drink as well as large gatherings are common.

The most recently added holiday is known as Mariage des Nations and marks the day when Steve married Belle. As this date coincides to be her birthday as well, and Steves birthday being exactly one week earlier, this week is normally a completely week off. The Cantorians also celebrate this day, but rather in commemoration of Belle.

Trivia[]

  • Castaire and it's cultural background were mainly inspired by real world France. Many things bear french names, but there are influences from other cultural spheres as well, e.g. the army uniform and imperial colour Red from England/Britain.
  • The naming of Castaire started with Alcastaire as first idea, then changed to Belcastaire and finally got rid of the prefixes and remained Castaire.

See also[]

References[]

  1. Foundation by Chiralien, Duc du Favorite
  2. Castaire, Gardelegen and Montataire were united, with Castorian becoming Empereur
  3. Overseas territories, regions and colonies not included
  4. Their colonial empire belongs to Castaire's national market, meaning that imports from and exports to colonies don't count as foreign trade.
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