Holy Solarian Empire

The Empire, Solaria or officially the Holy Solarian Empire is a theocratic absolute monarchy which dominates the Western half of the continent Arith and large sections of the continent of Gaushan. The Empire is headed by the religious and political head of state, the Solar Emperor of Terra, who is the head of the Solar Ecclesiarchy of Erses, also known as Solaris. The Empire is a absolute monarchy, however gives representation for local Lords and land owners in the Imperial Senate, and Kings of Kingdoms in the Empire.

The Empire is composed of three core and founding Kingdoms, the greatest of which is the Reunited Solar Kingdom of Pyrrhia and Averonia, which includes all the territories of the predecessor state of the Solar Empire of Arith. While Pyrrhia and Averonia dominate the Western half of Arith, the other two Kingdoms, Elyria and Eldia, command large sections of the continent of Gaushan.

The Empire is controlled by the absolute monarch that is the Solar Emperor of Terra (High Pyrrhian: Imperator Solaris Terrae), who is seen in the Solarian Faith as the appointed monarch of the entire world. The Emperor takes counsel from both the Imperial Council, which includes the Kings of Elyria and Eldia, as well as the Imperial Senate, which includes Imperial Governors and Senators.

The Empire was formed after the conversion of King Aldrich Teagan I of Elyria to the Solarian Faith and the reoccurring dreams appearing to Mithras I of Eldia and Melevor II of their God, Solaris Erses, who demanded the three Kings to meet in Solar Pyrrhus and bade them to unite their polities, crowning Melevor II as Emperor of Terra.

Etymology
The Holy Solarian Empire is considered by the state faith - The Solar Ecclesiarchy of Erses - to be the single, universal and divine Empire on Terra - the planet Earth. This is considered as such as it is a state which has been ordained, and blessed by the Solarian God - Solaris Erses, and the unification of the three original polities which created it through Erses as the single most divine blessing to the peoples of the world.

For this reason, the Solarian Empire sees itself as the single political entity to have the right to claim the title "Empire" (High Pyrrhian: Imperium). The term "Imperium" in High Pyrrhian is a form of absolute authority which may only be bestowed by Solaris Erses and is derived from the High Pyrrhian verb imperare (to command).

History
The history of the Holy Solarian Empire can be traced alongside the history of the majority ethnicity of the Empire, the Pyrrhians, of which the Imperial Dynasty originate, as well as the recent history of the Kingdoms of Elyria and Eldia.

Pre-History
The establishment of the Holy Empire came about through the conversion of the Kingdoms of Eldia and Elyria to the Solarian religion. This religious conversion was brought about by the creation of the Solar Empire of Arith established on March 23rd 2022. The Solar Empire of Arith ruled over the Western half of the continent of Arith and comprised of two internal Kingdoms.

Eldian conversion to Solaris was spearheaded by Eldia's own an first King: Tilly Angolmois, who claimed he received visions of Erses and spurred him on to convert the entire nation, eventually making it a Solarian theocratic monarchy, similar to the Solar Empire of Arith. Solarian conversions in theSouthada region - particularly the town of Ironhill - led to the Second Ironhill War which in reality was a proxy war between the Eldians and the Stahlfaustians. Eldian victory with secured with the assistance of the Kingdom of Elyria, subsequently gaining the former Stahlfaustian capital of Wulfheim.

Soon after Stahlfaust declared independence from the Kingdom of Elyria, Solarian missionaries, including the new Eldian King Mithras arrived in the Elyrian capital of Ehrenhal, and managed to convert the young King Aldrich Teagan.

Advent of Imperium
Following Aldrich's conversion the King of Eldia - Mithras Zodd Angolmois -, the King of Elyria - Aldrich Teagan - and the Solar Emperor - Melevor Cestar II - met in Solar Pyrrhus, the capital of the Solar Empire of Arith to discuss re-occurring dreams and visions they had been receiving involving the Solarian God Erses. The group of monarchs along with a collection of clergy summoned an avatar of Erses, that spoke to them and told them that the time had come for a united Solarian polity.

With this the three monarchs set off to work. In Pyrrhia the Emperor began secretly conducting the creation of the apparatus of Empire and the symbolism therein. The mass expansion of the soon to be Imperial Capital had begun with the construction of the Basilica of Accenderatus over the Kiln of the Creation and the expansion of the city eastwards, beginning with the Forum of Melevor.

In Eldia, Solar King and now Ecclesiarch of Message, Mithras, opened Tillyied College, a Solarian university of theology and trade for all in the Empire. It was that day when Mithras had brought the last remnants of old Eldia out from the gutter. The Rimans, gentry, and peasants alike were one under a single blood and creed, unified now with their brothers and sisters of Elyria and Pyrrhia under Erses. Now all of Terra would contemplate that body and soul will seek their union under the guidance under the Solar Father’s most ambitious project since creation itself, the Empire.

In Elyria, Solarian churches started construction as the missionaries who had tried for so long to convert Elyria took the place as the local clergy. The canonization of Chickenprism brought the large region of Jodaya to the Faith and a hub for aspiring priests and monks. In the now barren and untamed lands which the tower of Savage Crow loomed over new hopes of life now blossom, as pilgrims have started to make their way to the site and the Inquisition sets its eyes upon the ominous and abandoned fortress.

With the date set by Erses fast approaching, the Kings of Eldia and Elyria swiftly made their way back to Solar Pyrrhus, and on September 1st the union of their polities had been completed. A ceremony was held in Solar Pyrrhus to mark the unification of the three nations into one: The Holy Solarian Empire

The Solarian Faith regards the unification of the three nations under one as a major religious event and holiday which is celebrated each year. Solaria views itself as the only nation rightfully allowed to use the term "Empire" as the High Pyrrhian term "Imperium" (Empire) is a form of absolute authority which may only be bestowed by Solaris Erses.

The Lothric War
Solaria was quick to act in foreign policy, as only a week after unification on September 8th the Empire declared defence of Lothric, the Twinned Paladin of Envy's territories on Gaushan against the opportunistic and rival religious nation of Stahlfaust.

The Lothric War would be over, however, before it could even start with no combat being seen between either sides of the conflict before fizzling out and the ultimate disappearance of Lothric.

Dance of the Eagles
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Solaria Resurrectionis
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Geography
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Ecology
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Administrative Divisions
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Religion
As a theocratic monarchy, the Empire has a sole religion, the Solarian faith which is embodied in the Solar Ecclesiarchy of Erses. Other religions are forbidden to be practiced or preached within Imperial territories, and those who preach these religions are usually deported to their homelands. Severe violations of these rules - human sacrifice, void-worship and banditry - usually end in detainment by the Imperial Solarian Inquisition and interrogation, which is followed by execution at the stake.

Solaris
Religion is one of the most important factors within the Empire, as it is a theocracy with a church which has it's teachings taught at school, and enforced by the Imperial Solar Inquisition. Potential reformers or atheists or other denominations are pursued by the Solar Inquisition and often burned at the stake for heresy. The Empire is the sole nation which follows Solaris, and contains many of the holy sites of the religion, such as the Imperial Capital of Solar Pyrrhus, where the Kiln of the Flame of Creation is tended to.

Solarians, and Pyrrhians in particular, have a superiority complex due to their religion, believing that their people were directly created and chosen by Erses to guide the world into an age of peace which would last millennia before the beginning of the Great Consumption. They believe that their Emperor is a divine monarch, not only receiving blessings from Erses or having a mandate from the Heavens, but that he is a direct descendant of the Solar God, and so he is treated with complete reverence as the highest figure in political and religious life.

Solarians practice their Faith in large churches, chapels and cathedrals, with often public ceremonies for the cremation of dead bodies, honouring them, the burning at the stake of heretics, or the baptism of new-borns or newly converted individuals in blue flames after consuming Elixir of the Sun.

All other religions within the Empire are banned or suppressed, though some that are able to co-exist with the Solar Ecclesiarchy have been permitted to exist in one form or another, after being co-opted by the Ecclesiarchy and used as examples of remnants of Erses' influence prior to Terra straying from His vision.

Politics
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Solar Emperor of Terra, King of Kings, Voice of Erses
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Solar Prince, Archduke of Pyrrhus Antiquus
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Imperial Council
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Imperial Senate
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Foreign Relations
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Arith
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Gaushan
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Prospit
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Occidentia (Moria)
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Koganon
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Economy
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Demographics
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Cultures
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Pyrrhian
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Averonian
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Elyrian
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Eldian
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Towns
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Reunited Solar Kingdom of Pyrrhia and Averonia
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Solar Kingdom of Elyria
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Solar Kingdom of Eldia
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