Ruler: Emperor Thincol Torion I
Government: Monarchy
Area: 62,300 sq. mi. (161,350 sq. km.), plus 797,678 sq. mi. (2,065,985 sq. km.) of overseas colonies (973,143 sq. mi. (2,520,440 sq. km.) if Heldun is included).
Population: 3,030,400 of various races (95% human, 3% elven, 2% other), plus 878,400 in overseas colonies (1,003,400 if Heldun is included).
Capital: Thyatis City
Languages: Thyatian (official), Elvish (Vyalia dialect), various local tongues spoken in subject territories
Coinage: Thyatian Standard: emperor (pp), lucin (gp), justiciar (ep), asterius (sp), denarius (cp)

The Empire of Thyatis is composed of several nations, separated by the Sea of Dread and Sea of Dawn, the core of the nation is the Thyatian mainland where the capital, Thyatis (pop. 500 000) – the biggest city of the Known World, lies. The region is known for its warm and hospitable climate, and its good farming land, where corn and wine are produced in abundance, and horses and cattle are raised. Directly to the south of the mainland lays the Isle of Hattias where the Hattians, relatives to the Thyatians, live. To the southeast of Hattias are Ochalea and the Pearl Islands, while to the east is the Isle of Dawn, traditional fighting ground between the Thyatians, who hold its western part, and their eternal enemies, the Alphatians. Recently, the Thyatians have occupied the Hinterlands, a heavily forested area on the northern tip of Davania, the southern continent. Some native Hinterlanders conduct guerrilla action against the invaders.

The country of Thyatis is mainly composed of rich farmlands, with hills and mountains filled with mineral wealth to the north. Still, much variety exists among its eighteen dominions, called counties or duchies (baronies are no longer found in the Thyatian heartland as official imperial domains, though many of the dukes have created baronies in their duchies, but at the imperial level such domains are found only among the colonies now). A full description of these domains may be easily found in the previous almanacs.

The western region of the mainland is known as the Kerendan Plains: rich flatlands used for horse-breeding, tillage and pasturage, that gradually give way to a more hilly region (central Thyatis). Here the soil is still good for farming, but becomes less and less productive as one moves eastward toward the sea. Eastern Thyatis is mostly grazing land for sheep, although the Sea of Dawn is good fishing water. To the north there are mountainous and hilly regions, rich in minerals; among these regions is the domain of Buhrohur, settled and ruled by dwarves loyal to the empire. West of Kerendas lies the domain of Vyalia, where elves live following their own rules close to nature. These areas have been expanded due to a deal with the King of Karameikos, which officially granted some stretches of forest already settled by Vyalian elves to the empire.

Though the Known World’s Empire of Thyatis is small – not much larger than its neighbors its power is great, and its influence profound. The ancient Empire rules several large territories overseas. See the sections on Ochalea and the Pearl Islands, the Isle of Dawn, and Davania for details about the Empire’s wider holdings.

The peninsular Duchy of Tel Akbir (150,000, D./Sheik Tarik ben Nadir) is heavily populated by Alasiyans - kin to the people of the Emirates. The locals are loyal to the Empire, but Ylaruam wishes to reclaim its lost territory.

The Barony of Biazzan (30,000, B. Babrak Biazzan) is a rich valley dominion that sits in a precarious position near the Emirates’ border.

The Duchies of Kantrium (100,000) and Retebius (200,000, D. Callastian and Mitasula Retebius) occupy a fertile Gulf strip of farm and cattle-land. The latter is home of the Retebius Air Fleet.

Brigands trouble the gold mines of the County of Halathius (20,000). Raiding is so common that it is illegal to camp outside of recognized settlements

The “Shield of the East,” the County of Lucinius (120,000), is responsible for the imperial navy. It was previously a part of Empire’s political center.

The Duchy of Thyatis (1,500,000).

The Duchy of Kerendas (600,000, D. Maldinius Kerendas) produces prized horses and trains the imperial cavalry.

The Barony of Buhrohur (15,000, 100% dwarvish, B. Gilla Blyskarats) was established by dwarves who built the original imperial palace.

The County of Actius (10,000, C. Geraldan Actavius) seeks to become a trading center on the eastern shipping lanes. 10% of the capital is made up of Minrothaddan water-elves.

The Duchy of Machetos (30,000, D. Callastian Jowdynites) was once a wealthly land under the Karameikos family, but its mineral resources have diminished over the last 30 years.

County Vyalia (20,000 25% elves, C. Yldysyl Greenheight) occupies the eastern Dymrak Forest, but Vyalia elves can be found in secretive groups on the Karameikan side of the border. Since joining the Empire, the county trains foresters for the imperial armed forces.

The island County of Hattias (350,000, C. Heinrich Oesterhaus) is the largest territory in mainland Thyatis, but it is also one of the poorest and least well-regarded. As a result of a 4th Century rebellion, Hattias was reduced from a duchy, and no defensive structures are permitted. The reputation continues to suffer from groups of disaffected Hattians who engage in racial crimes. Vineyards and shepherds’ flocks are common in the hills.

Like nearby Hattias, the Duchy of Mositius (15,000. D. Triella Tien-Tang) produces strong vineyards. Mt. Mositius emits strange mood-altering mists that have been harnessed for tourism.

Ownership of the Grand Duchy of Terentias (25,000, 40% elvish, A. Derentarius) is disputed by Minrothad. Local pirates and traders ply their skills against both nations.

The Protectorate of Borydos (500 soldiers, 4,500 prisoners) became the Empires main prison colony after the loss of Ierendi. Sea monsters fill the waters.

Luxury villas fill the Protectorate of Carytion (5,000), while smaller Sclaras (5,000; 3000 slaves) is gridded off in approximately 250 quarter square-miles estates that go to wizards of distinguished service to the Empire.

Lands between the Trevonian and Mesonian Rivers and the hills and mountains north of Kerendas, are currently under direct imperial authority and are available for future dominions.

Thyatis City: Thyatis City is the Empire – representatives of every territory can be seen here. Mansions of the wealthy sit apart from miles upon miles of lowerclass workshops and tenements, and runaways fill the streets. The capital (600,000) is the largest city in the Known World.

Biazzan: This city (12,500) is famed for the University of Biazzan. Fort Nicos protects it from Ylari raiders and humanoids.

The Thyatians have a long and glorious history, a history of both triumph and tragedy. Many non-Thyatians judge it harshly, not aware of the burdens and responsibilities Thyatis carried. These duties led Thyatis to make pragmatic decisions in the interest of not only itself, but of all Mystarans.

The people now known as Thyatians had their origin on the distant shores of the Davanian continent. Some sixteen centuries ago the tribes, Thyatian, Kerendan, and Hattian, departed from Davania settling on the small southeastern spur of the continent of Brun, a continent some scholars believe they came from originally. The tribes were warrior people, hardy and unafraid of death. Upon their migration to Brun they fought against a nation, forgotten by time, that it is believed held in them bondage in the murky past and sent them to Davania, fighting them until even the very name of this nation was forgotten. For four centuries they lived free, eventually coming into contact with the ruthlessly expansionistic and despotic Alphatian Empire, a nation that dominated others through fear and intimidation. The Thyatians resisted the Alphatians' drive for conquest with raids (which Alphatian histories depict as piracy) and maritime strength. Eventually the Alphatians came to learn that the mountains in Thyatian lands held rich deposits of gold, and ever greedy for resources and people to exploit, the Alphatians set out to conquer the Thyatians as they had so many before them. The Thyatians resisted valiantly, but were no match for Alphatia's magical power at the time.

For two centuries the Thyatians lived under the cruel and despotic yoke of the Alphatian Empire, forced to work in its mines in conditions that the Jennites of today nod knowingly about when they hear of it. But the Alphatians inadvertently also taught much to the Thyatians, who took what they learned and improved it, and also learned what not to do. Hardened by their experience after two centuries of Alphatian rule, the Thyatians led a grand revolt against the Alphatian despotism. The Alphatian regime crumbled, and only their timely surrender prevented their collapse. In exchange for peace, the Alphatians ceded much of the lands they had occupied for so long. Thus, the Thyatian Imperium was born.

For a millennium Thyatis stood as a bulwark against Alphatian expansionism. The Known World was shielded from Alphatian aggression by Thyatian strength, and thus allowed to develop in its own way. The modern world owes its shape and its culture to Thyatis in more ways than one. Many nations never ruled by it speak Thyatian and have derived elements of their civilisation from its own. Empress Valentia's enlightened Citizen's Proclamation twenty years after the empire's foundation made all the people of the Thyatian Empire full participants in the empire, unlike Alphatia's tradition of subjugation and oppression of conquered people. She took the further step of granting independence to both the Pearl Islands and Ochalea, then formally inviting them back into the empire under the terms of her proclamation, and they accepted. This made Thyatis strong in ways that Alphatia could not replicate without changing its society, something the Alphatians would not do. So while Alphatia was larger and ostensibly more powerful than Thyatis, Thyatis made more efficient use of its strength.

In the last century, the Alphatians once again attacked Thyatis, which was ruled by a kind, artistic but unmilitary emperor, Gabrionus V. Emperor Gabrionus V had forgotten that the first duty a ruler has is war, and had let the Thyatian military and fleets decline while he shifted funds to artistic pursuits and grand building projects, like the theatre in Thyatis which still bears his name. The Alphatian Spike Assault was initially successful, and many Alphatians to this day insist that this war was a great victory for them. However, though their "Grand Imperial Army" managed briefly to pierce the walls of The Queen of Cities, and they went on a bloodthirsty rampage, believing they had won, the Alphatians had once again miscalculated the Thyatian spirit and the resiliency of its people. The Alphatian invaders were defeated so utterly, their fleets crushed so decisively, that they were unable to hold back the Thyatian tide even enough to retain their gains on the Isle of Dawn. Within two years' time, the Alphatians had suffered crushing a defeat not only in Thyatis but on the Isle of Dawn as well. This debacle was so humiliating to them that they forced their reigning emperor, Tylion IV, to abdicate as a result. His successor, Eriadna, knew the only wise choice she had was to sue for peace with the new Thyatian Emperor, Thincol Torion, before our soldiers advanced into Alphatia's territory. So, rather than being an example of Alphatian supremacy, as they often claim, the Spike Assault is an emblematic example of the indomitable spirit of the Thyatian people, our refusal to be defeated, and our ability to overcome great odds. More recently, and Immortals willing for the last time, Thyatis again used its strength to shield the world from the advance of the bloodthirsty Alphatian hordes. This Final War between Thyatis and Alphatia lasted from AC 1005 to AC 1009. It was a war Thyatis fought on behalf of Glantri and by extension all the nations, against the threat of Alphatian dominance. The Alphatians sought to conquer and destroy Glantri, while we sought to prevent their expansionist aims, hoping to curb their appetite for destruction. We also fought because it would not have been in our interest to see Alphatia expand in Brun, flanking us by conquering Glantri. These antagonisms set the stage for a horrific war like none other. The war is often called the Wrath of the Immortals because the Immortals punished Alphatia for attempting to impose their regime on the world, sundering the Alphatian Empire, while some call it the Great War, but I call it the Final Alphatian War in an expression of optimism. Thus it is poetic justice that the Alphatians, while seeking to destroy Glantri, were instead destroyed themselves. Also, this war was an echo of history, as Glantri is named such because it was a Thyatian, Alexander Glantri, who foiled the Alphatians the last time they tried to impose themselves on that nation.

During this war the Alphatian attackers caused much death and destruction in the empire, only to be thwarted in the end, just as during the earlier Spike Assault. During the course of the war, Thyatis suffered numerous setbacks and defeats, though we did succeed in throwing Norwold into a series of disruptive wars, thus preventing the Alphatians from marching south from Landfall through Heldann and Ethengar and right into Glantri. My friend, Knight of the Air Carolianus Ellerius, summed it up best when he said "All throughout the war we had a strange, surreal feeling, as if we were an audience in a theatre, watching the events of our own struggle and yet powerless to affect it. After awhile, it was clear they could not be stopped." As fate unfolded, the Alphatians overran much of the Isle of Dawn. After early reverses the situation seemed to stabilise as we held them off in the northern head of the Isle of Dawn. It seemed for a time that the course of the war might turn in our favour, but our supposed allies, the Heldannic Knights, sent no aid but rather engaged in a series of reckless and unnecessary campaigns which were only distractions. But far more ominously, Eruul Zaar treacherously betrayed the empire to Alphatia, turning traitor in exchange for the title of king and the hand of Asteriela. His betrayal allowed the Alphatian hordes to occupy this strategic position on the Isle of Dawn, giving their fleets an opening to invade Brun. But our forces were ready to intercept them, and finally free of the debilitating weaknesses that undermined their effectiveness in the early stages of the war, they finally showed what they were capable of doing. In a mighty clash in the Eastern Sea of Dawn in the summer of AC 1008, our Retebius Air Fleet, with the vaunted Spitfire and Hurricane squadrons in the vanguard, defeated their dread skynavy, while our imperial navy repulsed their fleet, sinking many transports and forcing the enemy back to the Isle of Dawn, though at heavy cost to our valiant troops. It took the Alphatians nearly six months to recover from this blow, licking their wounds and rebuilding their fleets. Then, thwarted in their effort to invade Thyatis directly, the Alphatians once again turned to disreputable methods to achieve their goal. Pinning down our forces and those of Heldann with diversionary feints, the Alphatians sneaked into Ylaruam at Cubia in the dead of winter, invading it without a proper declaration of war. Though the locals resisted, the Ylari could not hold off the Alphatian onslaught. The enemy dispatched them, and marched down into Thyatis.

The Alphatian war machine pushed through Thyatis throughout AC 1009, slowly but inexorably, despite a valiant and desperate defence. The emperor brought our fleet around to cover Vanya's Girdle, thwarting their fleet's effort to push up the channel and attack The City directly, but their armies continued to march through Thyatis, wave after wave their hordes came. Many battles and skirmishes took place as we fought fiercely to defend our homes, but I will limit myself to a brief description of only the most significant of these. Our defenders repulsed their attack at Kantridae, but they were able to bring up reinforcements to outflank our positions, forcing us to withdraw because we did not have sufficient troops to prevent this manoeuvre. Again we beat back their first attempts to cross the Kantridae River, but again they brought up more men to cross upriver while the Alphatian general formed his army into a large square to ford the river in the teeth of our forces. Though we inflicted severe casualties on them, there seemed to be endless numbers of them, always coming, and they forced us to withdraw again. Our main forces managed an orderly withdrawal to the City of Thyatis while a cadre of volunteers and local defenders bravely held Retebius and fended off the Alphatian war machine for over a month. They finally managed to take that city in a furious assault, overrunning and slaughtering the defenders, though their own casualties were so horrid they were stalled again, forced to bring up additional fresh troops from their lands. Which, in the end, seemed to be our undoing, as by this point our reinforcements consisted largely of youths and old men, plus a very few Heldannic Knights and Glantrian wizards who finally came to support us, their allies in this war. But still the Alphatians came on, disregarding and ignoring their own severe casualties. Though we picked off their elite forces with surgical strikes, and valiant charges by forces formed late in the war, such as the Order of the Silver Shield, whittled them down and made them pay dearly for every advance. This bought precious time for Thincol to prepare the defences of the capital and for our Glantrian allies to complete their own preparations. But the Alphatians always seemed to have more common troops whose lives they sacrificed unsparingly in their drive for conquest, and no method was too despicable for them to resort to in their efforts to terrorise the people into submission. They then managed to ford the Retebius River, again in the face of our resistance, but using their numbers to cross in multiple places so we were forced to withdraw, and they marched into the Duchy of Thyatis.

The Alphatian forces at length pushed forward to the eastern bank of the Mesonian River, where we drew up our forces to oppose them. With us at last were strong contingents from Heldann and Glantri, as well as some northerners sent as "mercenaries" by our allies in Ostland to fight by our side. A skilful battle plan had been drawn up, but a body of Heldannic Knights charged prematurely, and was slain by the Alphatians. Though these men went down in Heldannic lore as heroes, for us it seemed like a senseless waste that, worst of all, threw things into disorder. Seeing this, the imperial generals withdrew the remaining troops into River Guard Town, with the Order of the Silver Shield covering their withdrawal, and boarded them on ships, where they crossed over to The City, to defend behind its stout walls, with the Retebius Air Fleet controlling the airspace above. With our ships patrolling the river and girdle, the Alphatians were faced with the difficulty of crossing over in the face of this. Though they could have landed some troops by skyship to attempt to make a beachhead on the west side, they knew that we would then be able to strike at these forces before more troops could be brought over to swell their numbers, and that thus such efforts were likely to be defeated piecemeal. They were facing this challenge when Thincol's envoys submitted a peace proposal to Eriadna, reminding her of the difficulties the Alphatians would face if they tried to assault the Queen of Cities again, and also what Thyatis's response would be. Though many uncomprehending Alphatians believe to this day that Eriadna made a mistake in not attacking the City of Thyatis, and believe they would have won, Eriadna knew better the capabilities of Thyatis. Because she knew what Thyatis would do if cornered, in the treaty she agreed to a staged withdrawal not just from the Thyatian mainland, but from all the areas of the empire the Alphatians had occupied during the war. Many Alphatians will try to persuade you, as they have in past almanacs, that Alphatia defeated Thyatis, just as they try to claim the Spike Assault was a victory for them. But in the end, Thyatis achieved its war aim, while Alphatia was foiled in their goal of destroying Glantri. In the end, only one empire was destroyed by the war, and it was not the Thyatian Empire, which persevered, as it always has, due to the character of the Thyatian people. Next the Alphatians planned on trampling on the sovereignty of the Five Shires and Darokin in their effort to invade and destroy Glantri, just as they had trampled upon Ylaruam in their effort to invade Thyatis. They commandeered many ships for this purpose, to replace the ones we had sunk during the fighting.

But they didn't last long enough to carry this out, because the legacy of this Final Alphatian War was not be the triumph of Alphatian despotism, nor will it be the irrevocable exhaustion of Thyatis.

Emperor Thincol became gravely ill towards the end of the war, as the Alphatian onslaught entered Thyatis itself, for the first time showing his age, so great was the burden he bore on behalf of the Thyatian people. The Week Without Magic took place while the Alphatians were marching across Thyatis and into Karameikos. Many Thyatians took advantage of the confusion this caused among the Alphatian forces to exact retribution for atrocities visited upon their families during the Alphatian invasion. Shortly after the continent of Alphatia sank and the Alphatian Empire was destroyed, the tides of war turned. Imperial authorities impounded the wreckage of the Alphatian skyships which had crashed on imperial soil during the Week Without Magic, for study and because some of them might prove repairable. The empire also, mercifully in a gesture of benevolence, took into its service those Alphatians who were willing to put past differences behind us and work together with Thyatis in post-war recovery efforts. Some, more spiteful and uncooperative ones, withdrew to the Isle of Dawn however, where they indicated they would attempt to carry on the cause of their destructive and yet destroyed empire.

Emperor Thincol scrupulously remained true to his word and observed the terms of the treaty he had signed with Eriadna at the close of the Final Alphatian War, even though a treaty with a dead nation is not binding. This treaty stipulated that the Thyatians would not attack Karameikos, Helskir, Ochalea, or the Pearl Islands, and we did not. But the Alphatians once again let their sense of racial superiority get the better of them, never believing that others would treat their lands the same way they had treated the lands of so many other peoples before. Thus they had left a welcome loophole in the treaty, which Thincol promptly (but prematurely, as it turned out) exploited to our advantage.

In AC 1010, the emperor tried to absorb the remaining Alphatian kingdoms so they would never again rise to threaten the world. He did this instead of focusing on rebuilding Thyatis, spending the last of the empire's strength in an effort to secure a lasting victory. These plans were shattered when Thothia's undead minions defeated the legions on the Isle of Dawn using dark necromancy, and spread a plague of mummy rot throughout Thyatis. The old Thincol would have known how to deal with the Thothian threat, dispatching Thyatian clerical orders and members of the Retebius Air Fleet to vanquish Thothia's dark magics, causing upheaval and civil strife. But by this time Thincol was a shadow of his former self, senile and decrepit. These battles ended in AC 1012 when Thincol died and was replaced by his son Eusebius. Eusebius restored order to Thyatis, taking steps to end the plague and famine the Thothians had spread into Thyatis. Thothia requested a truce and signed the Treaty of Dawn with the empire insuring peace on the Isle of Dawn. This treaty cost the empire the cities of Ekto and Trikelios and a few minor Alatian Islands, but the empire has now recovered almost fully, and continues to hold a position which allows us to keep an eye on the machinations of the surviving Alphatians.

It was recently revealed that the Immortals, for mysterious reasons of their own, had restored the Alphatian continent and many of its people in the Hollow World. But they wisely placed it in isolation from the remnants of their surface empire, and indeed in isolation from the rest of the Hollow World, so that the Alphatians' passion for destruction can no longer threaten others. The Alphatians now hope to build another new version of their empire, but the truth remains that the Alphatian Empire that made the world tremble was destroyed, and is gone forever. In Thyatis, Eusebius is now looking at Davania and plans on expanding the empire into the unclaimed jungles of the southern continent, so that we will remain strong and vigilant should the surviving Alphatians plot once again in the future.

Since then Eusebius initiated a number of long overdue reforms intended to restore the empire to its former glory, doing what Thincol perhaps should have done after the Great War. His critics said he was pushing things too far, too fast, and that some of his changes threatened Thyatian traditions. Eusebius pressed ahead though, pushing his plans through and working in concert with a senate friendly to these ideas. Though these reforms were greatly needed and will strengthen Thyatis in the long run, Eusebius's critics may have been right in one sense. The rapidity of his innovations vexed many, and his precipitous actions may have sparked the seriousness of the War of the Crown that plagued Thyatis.

The Thyatian people are cosmopolitan, urbane and interested in new things to the point of faddishness; they also prize efficiency, and dearly love their heroes. Thyatians quickly assimilate those they have conquered, granting new subjects all the rights and duties of citizenship.

On the downside, the favor of its people is fickle. Thyatians are also obsessively pragmatic to the point of being bloodthirsty and callous, treacherous and conniving.

Thyatians consider the gladiatorial arenas – installed during the Alphatian occupation – as the foremost entertainment, along with circuses, and melodramatic tragedy.

The original three tribes tended towards a light olive skin tone, with hair ranging from light to dark brown. Over the centuries, Thyatians have freely intermingled with other groups in the Empire, Kerendans less so, and Hattians hardly at all.

The mainland also has substantial representatives from other ethnic and racial groups: Pearl Islanders, Ochaleans, Traladarans, Alasiyani, Hinterlanders – even common and pure Alphatians reside in Thyatis. Demihumans can be found most everywhere in the mainland outside of Hattias. It is even possible to encounter humanoids in the heavy urban centers like Thyatis City.

Religion is as bureaucratic as is the government. There is an empire-wide, state-sponsored Church of Thyatis, plus independent churches and orders dedicated to smaller, specific faiths. The Church frequently absorbs the icons of conquered people, adapting them to promote existing tenets. Today, the single most prominent figure is Vanya, the Patroness of Conquerors.

Pantheon: The Thyatian Pantheon. Also, worship of foreign immortals, integrated into the Thyatian Faith is tolerated. Immortals from the Antalian, Traladaran and Ochalean pantheons are especially popular.

Ethos: The Faith defines certain actions as sins, which unless repented for hinders the souls passing into Paradise. Such souls are trapped on Limbo, or worse, captured by the Demons of Hell. View of Deities: Deities are known as Immortals. The Faith contains myths about mortals joining the ranks of the immortals. The Immortals are divided into Immortals of Life and Immortals of Death (Demons). Foreign immortals are not believed to be false, and many are integrated into the Thyatian Faith.

Social Role: Membership in a cult provides a social network for the members, and the cult aids its members performing rites of passage, marriage and burials. Also, acts of charity is encouraged towards cult members, but not particularly so towards members of other cults or religions. Relation with other Churches: Friendly attitude towards the Churches of Karameikos and Darokin. The Church of Thyatis has a sense of superiority towards these, and even more so towards other Churches/Faiths which it sees as misunderstood worship, whereas the Church of Thyatis can provide the correct/civilised way of worship.

Months Nuwmont Vatermont Thaumont Flaurmont Yarthmont Klarmont Felmont Fyrmont Ambyrmont Sviftmont Eirmont Kaldmont

Kerendan Days of the Hoof: (Kla 15-21) annual cavalry celebration with jousting tournaments. Day of Valerias: (Fel 15) romantic deeds Vanya’s Day: (Sv 8) death duels and gift giving Protius’s Day: (Ei 22) end of the official shipping season Footman’s Games: (Kal 15-21) field list competitions

Mulberry trees (for sericulture), grape vines, olive trees, date palms, peach, pear, orange, and cherry fruit trees in cultivated orchards, maple, birch, and oak trees, pine and aspens in the Southern Altan Tepes Mountains. Herds of cattle, sheep, horses, goats, swine, and mules. Bees kept for honey. Bears, boars, centaurs, lycanthropes, mountain lions, foxes, dryads, wolves, unicorns and goblinoids can be found in the wilds of the empire. Hill giants and ogres in the hills. Pegasi, griffons, rocs, ruby, gold, and white dragons as well as other aerial mounts are common near Retebius, sea monsters around Borydos, while absolutely anything can be found near the magical estates of Sclaras. There are unknown varieties of monsters in the catacombs underneath The City.

Thyatis has a warm and hospitable climate and a soil that is good for farming and raising cattle and horses on the coast. Northern holdings develop the mineral resources of the steep hills and mountains.

20% income tax collected quarterly on the aristocracy, nobility, and wealthy; 15% income tax collected quarterly on everyone else (Va. 1, Ya. 1, Fy. 3, and Ei. 1). Thyatians abroad must still pay their taxes. Expensive and magical items are also taxed 25% of their worth. 10% imperial commercia sales tax on all goods except food, clothing, and fixed assets; levied on imports, rebated on exports. Tax on slave owning, equal to 50% of the slave's value annually. Property tax levied based on quality of land, roughly 6% of its value annually.

Industries include, Agriculture, crafts (especially metalworking, glassworks, tanning, cloth), fishing, herding (cattle, sheep, goats), horse breeding (Kerendas mainly), magic (Sclaras and Thyatis City), military, mining (gold and other minerals in the Altan Tepes), shipbuilding (Thyatis City, Lucinius, and Actius), textiles (Thyatis City especially), trade, wine.

Thyatis is on good terms with Karameikos, Darokin, and Ostland. It has favorable relations with the Heldannic Order, Helskir, and Glantri, while détente exists between Thyatis and Alphatia. Dealings with the Emirates of Ylaruam are stressful, with the latter claiming Tel Akbir and raiders hitting Biazzan. There is an on-going war in Davania against the Hinterlanders.

A vast, byzantine governmental network has evolved to support the Empire. At the top of this bureaucracy are the emperor and the imperial senate. Below them are the nobility: lords, knights, barons, lord knights, counts, and dukes. Archdukes are semi-autonomous fiefs overseas (exception: Tarantias) like the duchies.

The form of government of Thyatis is a senatorial imperium, something unique in the known world. Thyatis is ruled by an emperor-but many ruling functions are performed by a senate, which controls and influences the activities of the country nearly as much as the emperor himself (though this depends on how strong-and sometimes ruthless-the current emperor is).

The throne is hereditary, and the emperor has to name a successor before his death. However, the senate has to ratify the rise to the throne, and thus it has been able to dispose of weak successors to put more adequate (or closer to the senate's ideals) figures on the throne.

The emperor chooses all ministers, high judges and generals; he is the sovereign commander of the army. The emperor can present nominations to titles and to possession of confiscated lands, but the senate must then vote to confirm the nominations. Moreover, the emperor is member of the senate, and when in session, as the "humble" Duke of Thyatis, he holds the position of princeps senatus; if he is not present, the crown prince or the most senior senator acts as praesidens pro tempore. The position is that of a speaker of the senate, identifying individual senators in debate and scheduling topics of discussion (which gives a great deal of influence over what is discussed).

The senate writes the laws of the empire; no other body can introduce laws. One or more senators will introduce a bill and then argue on its behalf; arguments and rebuttals can go on for up to a week, the legal limit on debate time. With a two-thirds majority of senators voting for the bill, it will be signed into law. However, the emperor may veto any law that the senate approves. The senate is the only body that can vote a declaration of war against another nation: the emperor, even if commander of the army, is not allowed to attack foreign countries without its approval. The senate's composition is very complicated and regulated by complex laws (as often is the case in a land where tradition, modernity and bureaucracy are so intertwined). Every major dominion ruler has the right to have a representative in the senate; moreover, all rulers with the title of duke (or higher) also have the title of senator. Forty aristocratic families have the right to have one of their members permanently as senator-the title is passed hereditarily. Last but not least, the major part of the senate is made up of representatives elected by the people about every five years, all over the empire. This is a true sign of the level of civilisation that we have reached, and the sign of what to be a citizen of the Thyatian Empire really means: you are a part of the imperium, not simply a subject, and every Thyatian citizen is proud and aware of it.

The Empire maintains a large standing army, the true size of which is unknown. The most common unit structure is the legion which is subdivided into several cohorts with different duties (i.e. foresters or engineers). The Imperial Cohorts XIVXVIII guard the capital.

Thyatian Military Ranks Domestic (Marshal) Strategos (General) (Drungary in navy) Hypostrategos (Lieutenant General) Chartulary (Brigadier) Praefect (Colonel) (Vicarius in Auxiliaries) Praetor (Lieutenant Colonel) Tribune (Major) (Legatarius in Auxiliaries) Centarch (Captain) Mandator (Lieutenant) (Protocarabi in the navy) Ducinator (1 per 20 troops; Master Sergeant) Decarch (1 per 10 troops; Sergeant) Pentarch (1 per 10 troops; Corporal) Strator (soldier or Private) (Carabisor in the navy, as "Marine")

Ranks of Mandator and above are commissioned officers. Ranks below that are NCOs. Note there are variations within the above, so that a given rank within one unit might be considered somewhat senior to the identical rank in a different unit (for example, Centarchs in guard units have precedence over Centarchs in regular forces, and Imperial officers have seniority over officers in colonial/Auxiliary forces). There are also variant names for several of the ranks other than those given, but sticking with the above for simplicity might be wise. But if you want to add some additional complexity, the below information might be helpful. For one example, all RAF air cavalrymen qualify as "officers," receiving a rank of "Protomandator" upon receiving their commission, which qualifies as something akin to a "Warrant Officer", though they can proceed up the ranks through Mandator, Centarch, etc. There are also Senior Decarchs, senior Ducinators, etc in each unit, the latter being a sort of "Sergeant Major" ranking. "Senior" is usually designated with "Proto" (the "new" method) or "Primus" (the "old" title) - note, however, that Mandators outrank Protomandators.

Privates (Strators) are also known by their unit type or troop type (for example, members of the Tagmata of the Excubitors are known as Excubiti, Cataphracts are heavy cavalrymen, a Trapezetos is a light cavalryman, a Scoutatos is a heavy infantryman, and a Psilos is a light infantryman). Officers and NCOs can thus be referred to as, for example, a "Pentarch of Trapezetoi" or "Centarch of the Scholae", which also creates a rough hierarchy, depending upon precedence of troop type or esteem of the unit in question (Scholae, for example, are the premiere unit of the Empire, ranking behind only the Hetaereia Augustiana and the Sacred Guard). The commander of the Empire's main mercenary force (the Antalian Guard) has the rank of Akolouthos rather than Strategos or Domestic, his deputy is known as a Domestic, but ranks in precedence with a Hypostrategos (Lieutenant General) rather than Marshal (though he is the most senior among the Hypostrategoi). Referring to a Carabisor as a Strator is usually a good way to start one of those staples of RPGs, the bar-room brawn.

Hypostrategoi are deputies of Strategoi, for example. Domestics are only found in a few units, and mainly replace Strategoi in those units.

Chartularies are pretty uncommon, actually. Tribunes serve as deputy commanders of Cohorts, under either Praetors or Praefects (never both in any one unit). In other words, in actual practice the rank system is even more bizarre and unfathomable than it looks: it isn't really exactly like that found in modern armies; the "chain of command" is clear, but the various ranks are used differentially and not uniformly.

A Pentarch is a commander of 5 troops in a squad of 10, the Decarch is the squad leader - he acts, in effect as the Pentarch in the other half of the squad.

By the way, for those the "five" and "ten" include themselves - so in any squad you get 1 Decarch, 1 Pentarch, and 8 Soldiers. In effect, the Decarch is the "Squad Leader" and the Pentarch is his "deputy".

Personalities

Emperor Thincol I Torion: Thincol the Brave is a self-made man, born Thrainkell Torson in Oceansend. He joined the ranks of Thyatis’s gladiators and was a crowd favorite at the time of the Alphatian Spike. Thincol rallied his fellow gladiators and soldiers to defeat the attack and rescue the late emperor’s daughter, whom he married before crowning himself Emperor. Since then, he has secured his rule and set about rebuilding the strength of the Empire.

Demetrion Karagenteropolous: Demtrion is the emperor’s court magist. He is a fundamentally honest man who seeks to dampen the more self-serving and ignoble plots that emerge from the court. He often magically disguises himself to hire unattached adventurers to achieve his ends.

Anaxibius: Anaxibius is the greatest gladiator of the day, maintaining an air of chivalry, honor and heroism that feeds the public’s adoration. He is conducting a torrid affair with the Emperor’s oldest daughter, Stefania, and works to bribe the Senate to make him heir to Machetos.

Thyarius Palykratidius: Thyarius is a cleric of Vanya and Commandant of the cavalry officer training school at West Reach in Kerendas

• Dawn of the Emperors Box Set
• The Vaults of Pandius
• The Piazza