The Katalian Empire

In control of the most south-eastern continent of Marcia, the Katalian Empires power and influence in the world is undeniable. It also holds over a quarter of Marcia’s population within its borders, as many dense population centers exist in the empire.

The original Katalian's are decendants of those that fled Tellheim during the Biatrian expansion in the second age. After several generations the people who had been brought up with a thrist for venegence managed to expand and eventully destroy the all ready failing Biatrian society. It is the land gained during this period and experience earned which established Katalia as a world power to replace the one they destroyed. For a while Katalia remained the tecnological superior to many of the other fledgling nations around them and managed to carve an the empire known today. The empire had stood firm ever since, a dominating figure on the world stage.

Early History
The Katalian Codex places the ancestral home of the Katalians several hundred miles east of the todays city of Kata. The people who lived here named the central town to the small system Tellheim, a now dead city. The simple life of the time for the people was one of fishing in the sea surrounding the city. However many such small civilisations were ended during Biatrian expansion during the second age.

The Biatrians decending on the community quickly and effciently, destroying many of the buildings and people. The battle forced many of the inhabitants into the sea. The Biatrians, lacking the means to follow them immediatly, let them to escape.

It is from these people that Katalia is founded upon. The small fishing boats could not work well in open water, and many could not fight the current. They were drifted westward, many scattering across the the northern coast of the now Tillen Greenland. However many had the current push them ashore on the loaction where the City of Kata now stands.

Early Kata
An lust for vengence lodged itself deep in the pyche of those that survived the ordeal. However the fragmented and weak people soon had the events fade in the memory of them, becoming distant ordeals. The early years after the survivors landed on the land were harsh and even more died from a lack of food. The land also responded diffrently to the one of Tellheim, and soon very few were left.

Soon a generation past. Seeing that the fragmented and scattered people were vulnerable, Kata, a second generation farmer on the new coast, began to reunite the survivors. Soon the people began to reunite and a small town began to form. This town is the earliest incarnation of the city, named after its founder, Kata. The Biatrian expansion which had pushed them originally from Tellheim soon stopped, due to political infighting, falling short of Kata by several hundreds of miles, saving the town and its people. It began to attact more and more survivors and soon began to grow. The original inhabitants of the area were also caught up in the expansion and soon the fledgling area had become a nation. The expansion soon came to a standstill as it hit the southern border of the Biatrian Empire.

Early skirmishes between the two resulting in victories for the growing Katalian Empire due to condition that the Biatrians found detrimental to usual tactics. However within five years, Biatria had gained the upper hand though superior resource and soon started to strike into Katalian territory, but fortunatly due to the Biatrian Civil War, Katalia survived again.

The War of Vengence
Main Acticle: The War of Vengence

Following early skirmishes, the empire underwent radical reform, changing it from a loose banding of farmers, to truly be an empire. The emperor gain full powers to control other elements within the empire. This was enforced with the founding of the Katalian Legions, originally created as a militia defence force, it's role was soon expanded.

During the early years of the Biatrian Civil War, the empire stuck upwards though the eastern spine, advancing quickly against depleted garrisons. Soon the legions found themselves at the capital, where they proceeded to slaugther both the defending army and the Biatrian rebel force holding the city to seige. The Katalian's seige saw the first use of gunpowder in battle.

The war had two major effects: The near genocide of the Biatrians, and the establishment of Katalia as the new global world power. Katalia added the newly conquered eastern spine to its empire.

Governence
The speed at which the empire grew during the war proved to much for the original governing structure within Katalia. Major reform was needed, so the system of Governence was implemented, a system which still holds power in Katalia to this day.

This period saw the establishment of trade routes with countries outside of Katalia borders, as the system overhaul left Katalia immobile. Within a year trade was also established over seas. With much of Kata's, and the now gone Biatrian's, technology been shipped worldwide, other countries began to find themselves move up to the same level (technology wise) as the Katalian's. While this remained a relatively low level, it had the effect allowing other faster developing civilisations to out do the Katalian's.

Now with every nation on the sea, trade flourised, bringing revenue to each nation. However with sea faring technology common, piracy became a problem. It was during this time that the Katalian Navy was established. With it's creation, the Empire held vast amounts of resources, all of which easily protected. And with the Governence system in place, the empire was secure. During this period of peace, technology flourished unlike any time before and standards of living improved greatly. With the creation of cities across the Empire, the population increased like never before. Katalia found itself in a boom time, with money to spare on prodigious projects such as manned flight and the development of vast aqueducts to supply water to the new cities. And even despite the peace, the Katalian Legion became the first army in the world to issue ranged gunpowder weapons as standard.

Much opposition to the the Empire sprung up around the globe, the most well known of which was the Alliance of Three Kings. Starting with boycotting the empire, it soon began to attack Katalian Trade Envoys and soon killed an ambassador. This lead to an invasion by the Legions and Navy. The victory of the much smaller Katalian force, which was armed with gunpowder weaponary, marked one of the first time a tiny elite strike force could beat a much more numerous enemy. This marked the end of the Third Age. After the victory, the Legions installed a favorable leader and left the west, in ruins.

The Xedra Race
During the Fourth Age, the Empire was one of the many nations engaged in the race to revolutionise their technology. Due to its vast wealth and amount of resources, the Empire carved ahead. It became the first nation to have the first fully airbourne navy. Also, like much of the civilised world, the Empire began to become a more technologically dominated places, and many factories and other large scale manufactoriums were opened. With a surge in the invention of new technology Katalia managed to keep up.

This was the Empires greatest age. It's territory was largest during the fourth age and it's armies also. However with the expansion in cities, cures for otherwise fatal infections and an even greater wealth many governers became corrupt. Because of the system of governence it was difficult for the these elements to be removed. With the corruption evident soon it began to effect the workers under them. Thois caused some remote subordianate provinces to rebel and expel the Empire from the lands.

Politics
As laid down in the Governence Accord, the Emperor of Kata, in theory, holds supreme power. The Emperor may create and disband laws, start and end military campaigns and rise or low tax rates, amongst many things. However most details are decided upon by the Assembly of Governence. Amongst the the things that the Emperor may decide upon, but is mainly done by Governors is the day to day running of settlements and regions. Every region is controlled by a Governor. Regions can go for decade without any mention of it by the Emperor, effectively giving the Governor complete control of the region.

Governors are elected diffrently between regions. Some hold the title though birthright, while others hold it for for a term, requiring the majority vote from the population to continue. Term length varies drastically as the types of elections.

Foreign Relations
The Empire maintains seats in several worldwide organisations, including the Creasant Bay Alliance, in which it is a prominant member. It also maintains embassies in most eastern countries, as well as many in the west. With the largest military avaliable in the world, Katalian Legionnaires can be found almost worldwide as peacekeepers, alongside Naval detachments.

Economy
The Katalian Empire massive |market economy with the manufacting market, as well as vast natural resources, particually metals. The market in the Empire however remains fairly stable, never go into a peak period or a dip. This is most likely due to a combination of increasing domestic and external consumption paired with an unstable government and breakaway factions. Approximately 15% of the Empire live under the poverty line. However due to vast amounts of un recorded people in the empire and the diffrence in the line though the Empire.

The main export of the Empire is manufacted goods ranging from trinkets to small Airships. However a strong market exsists also for the exportation of metals, mainly iron and already processed steel. The internal market continues to strengthen also, with an increase in demand.

Agriculture
Katalia provides a large portion of the worlds food supply though it's vast extent of agricultural land, however it is very low on the amount of products produced per capita. Products harvested has increased during the fifth age due to an increase, and lowering of the price, of technology allowing for greater yeilds, as well as better crops.

Also with access to major oceans around the continent fishing remains a profitable and steady business within the Empire, while still gaining from technological advancements much like the farmland.

Energy & Xedra
The Empire, as benefit of it's large area, holds vast reserves of coal and Xedra. However during recent ages the Xedra supply in the Empire has begun to drop due to over mining, leading to several wars, some undercover, to take the material from other areas.

Katalia has a large output of electricity, able to provide a large amount of it's population with energy. However the demand remains low.

Science and Technology
Many of the home states within the Empire have established universities, making the home states a strong seat of the learnd. Also within the home states the richer (and the fortunate few with patrons), thanks to an accord with the nation, can send there children to learn in the guilds of Aeloria. While this establishes a educated home state, in the fifth age very little advancements have come from within the empire.

The Third Age
During the third age it was Katalia that came up with one of the greatest advancements in technology in the age: gunpowder. During the following years many weapons were made to utilize this technology, making Katalia the de facto home of military technology. The Legions and Navy, formed during the age, benefitted in a vast advancement in weapon quality, the key factor given for there ability to beat much larger fighting forces.

Also in development during this era is a vast road system spreading the empire, as well as the extra development of the of port towns. Towards the end of the age some of the larger and more wealthy cities began to develop underground sewer systems, as well as a boost in defences.

Geograpthy
The whole of the empire is the largest country in the world, though both square miles of land and population. Vast amounts of timber, cole, gold and ores can be found thoughout the Empire.

Military
Main Articles: The Katalian Legions & The Katalian Navy

The Katalian Empire's Military is divided into two sections, the Legions and the Navy, as well as funded mercenary group and exhibitions. At the start of the year 720A5 both branchs combined had 3.6 million personal serving under them, while the mercenary groups had in excess of half a million.

The country has a large arms industry, producing most of its own military equipment with only few types of weapons imported for the military. Katalia is the world's top supplier of arms, a spot it has held since the third age, accounting for around 40% of worldwide weapons sales.

Official military spending in 720A5 amounted to 70 Billion Katalian Rekovs, the largest in the world.