Black Wizards Empire

The Black Wizards Empire was a hegemonic state ruled by the Black Wizards of the Dark Moonlight and encompassing a number of subject races, including the Gemstonian clans and elves.

Established almost immediately after the Great Arrival of the Black Wizards, the Empire maintained its power by monopolizing access to the Primrose and portraying itself as the legitimate successor to the order established by themselves. Lasting throughout the Age of Arrival, the Empire maintained order and promoted innovation and culture throughout Gemstonia, while simultaneously banishing or exterminating any race that opposed it.

During the late Age of Arrival, the Empire suffered its first major crisis in its confrontation with the Resistance, which resulted their imprisonment.

Government
The Empire was an autocratic state headed by Lyric, the Emperor who held almost absolute power, with limitations being imposed by religious dogma. Directly under the Emperor was a triad consisting of Lust, the Chamberlain responsible for maintaining the sovereign's personal assets, Stormy, the General in charge of state security, and Salt, the Ritual Master responsible for providing prophecies and religious guidance, all three of which had constitutional claims to the succession should the Emperor have expired.

The Black Wizards enjoyed a state of full supremacy over all other races of Gemstonia, with even the lowliest Black Wizards outranking the Gemstonian All-Queen. This was originally done by portraying themselves as legitimate successors to the guardians of the Primrose, which the clans venerated, though extensive historical revisionism resulted the truth being lost to the clans, and strict censorship impeded them from learning the truth of the Black Wizards' origins.

Territory
The heart of the Empire was the land of the Moon Plains, with the Moonlight Palace being the seat of power. Its influence stretched throughout the majority of Gemstonia's surface world.

Military
The Black Wizards fought their own battles, though armed with primitive weapons provided by their Gemstonian allies. Once imperial rule had been consolidated, and military ranks established, the Black Wizards formed the Castle Guard to act as their army. The Black Wizards could also count on the Queens to provide them with supplemental troops in the event of war. After the collapse of the Alliance of the Primrose, the Black Wizards once again fought by themselves, this time armed with Gothic-style swords and projectile weapons adored with skulls.

Technology and infrastructure
The Black Wizards inherited the scientific knowledge of their creators, and created the most technologically advanced civilization in Gemstonia's history. By the late Age of Arrival, the Black Wizards, under the supervision of Zap, had created machines and accessories powered by electricity, including pulley systems, prods, and lights. The Empire's medical technology was also highly advanced, making extensive use of fully functional prosthetic limbs and sensory organs, as well as having perfected the creation of new species via grafting. According to Griselda, the Black Wizards were fully capable of creating a crystal more powerful than any crystal itself, but were limited by their perpetual infighting.

The Empire's main source of revenue came from events every year. Collection and transportation of the events was made possible through the use of carriages rode by black horses. Long-range communication and intelligence gathering was originally achieved through the use of couriers.

Culture
Reflecting the Black Wizards' fear of death, the Empire's ideology centered around their presumed immortality and power, with any doubts being considered blasphemy. This dogma was so entrenched that, for nearly a thousand years, the Black Wizards lacked funerary rites. Imperial ideology also portrayed the Black Wizards as a superior race who were owed everything by the other denizens of Gemstonia.

Prior to the Battle for Gemstonia, Gemstonian subjects were given some measure of local autonomy, and were permitted to settle their own internal affairs, as well as maintain their own armed forces. Gemstonia Clans whose spiritual beliefs conflicted with Black Wizards ideology, such as the Bloodstone, were simply exempt from service in the Palace.

Black Wizards law was harsh to those accused of heresy or of losing a dispute over royal succession, both of which were punishable by exile. Active revolt would result in immediate military intervention and seizure of territory, which would be granted to loyal subjects once the rebels had been crushed, as was the case with the Moon Darkness.

Trivia

 * A crescent moon is the sigil of the Empire.