keep the peace. They cannot be trusted.
The Tribunes form the judges of Esor�a. They are part of the bureaucracy of Esor�a and yet they must be appointed by an Archcleric or Prelate.
As far as the Knights Basilicar, it appears as though lately, many leaders of the �tonist faith have begun to express their displeasure with this once esteemed group of holy crusader knights. I do not know what has happened to cause this rift in the church councils but it cannot bode well for the knights, who are but a shadow of their former selves in terms of number of members and wealth. Tas speaks true, however, regarding their riches. Although they retain but a fraction of their former wealth, the Knights Basilicar have amassed a fortune that is said to be greater than most of the kings and emperors in the Buchlayne. They hold considerably high status in the courts of the kings of the Bucylayne, due in part to their vast holdings in foreign lands and the trade that comes from these exotic locales. There are those who believe that the Knights Basilicar have the ultimate goal of creating their own state. I do not put stock in such stories.
Tas also failed to mention another group supposedly in existence in Esor�a: the legendary Black School, a university of sorcery students with ties to dark powers. The existence of such a school is most certain unlikely.
Persons of note in Esoria:
Cerrand Xavier Cristobal de la Rosa y la Piedra, King of Esor�a; Teresa Kristina de la Rosa y la Piedra, Queen of Esor�a; Miguel Rolando, Grand Master of the Knights Basilicar; Sten Acolo, the Grand Illuminator; Bril Anso, Junior Illuminator; Flin Polas, Elven Archcleric in Marlona
Page 23
The 18th of Albicene, 495 D.E.
The Imperial Theocracy (The I.T.) - notes from an interview with Rudolf Halcquoi, Commander of the Tharr� Imperia
"You want a Shagir opinion on the IT? Well, that's a novel approach. Who would've thought?
"Well, here's what I have to say about the IT. It's a mess. That's the short version. The long version would take much too long to tell. As far as I'm concerned, it's every person for himself. At least we're not hunted here like the Shagir who still live in Esor�a. That's a worse place than this, I can tell you. The IT may not be the strongest country in the Buchlayne but at least they have sense enough to realize that they'd be in a whole heap of trouble without the support of the Tharr� Imperia. We're the finest fighting force in the world, and I include the Knights Basilicar in that comparison.
"My best guess would be that in the next three to four decades, the IT will split up into four or five small states, each vying for independence. That may just be a great opportunity for us. I figure, the more people you have that want freedom, the more people you have who are going to need to fight for it. And, that's what they pay us to do."
Another very opinionated view of a country, this time from a Dwarf. Of course, I would never call him this to his face. Dwarves prefer to be called Shagir or "Tharr�" (the singular is Thar). The IT actually wrote a law making it a fineable offense to call a dwarf a dwarf.
Halcquoi's viewpoints aside, I will now add my own opinions, Gentle Reader.
The IT is a conglomeration of several small states and nationalities, covering a wide area of the western part of the Buchlayne. It intermixes cultures from Stadhof, Esor�a, Courriseux, and the Throecian Empire, as well as several other racial groups that were en-gulfed into the state. Additionally, several non-human races live in the IT, particularly dwarves.
The IT is for all intents and purposes a loose confederation consisting of the states of Pollachia, Vratsen, Novirov, Borisov, Pratoli, Mercamo, Piunico, Macerenze, and Holsburg. All have their own leaders, who are Imperial Electors, and are known by various titles: Margraves, Dukes, Counts Palatine, Kings, Princes, etc.
The Imperial Theocracy recently lost one of its most important possessions, the Rijnb�sch Republic, which pulled away to form a separate nation. Although theoretically still under Imperial control, they no longer pay taxes or provide troops. The Imperial Theocrat would have to march through various other western states (who are all pledged to keep Rijnb�sch free) to try to pull Rijnb�sch back into the fold. Therefore, the Theocrat has essentially given up his hold on the Republic.
