The Elvish Empire was a huge federation of racially ordered houses that reigned over most of Oshmondu.

Administration

The empire was ruled by a council of the most powerful houses' leaders. They made imperial policy for the various elvish houses and were usually obeyed. Of course, they made no great changes and only dealt with the bare necessities.

The council emitted a code of law, but most houses had their own codes of honor and didn't care about imperial law. In some areas, high expectations were placed upon manners and appearance, whilst others owned slaves and held mass orgies. Even basic elvish values - such as praising nature, never violating life, and being vegetarian - could be violated with impunity.

Each house dealt with crime by itself. Usually, elders just educated their youngers, while the nobility always held more authority than commoners. Disputes between houses had to be solved either by themselves or by mediators; occasionally, the council had to arbiter cases.

Major Houses

The matrons and patriarchs of the six most powerful houses in the Elvish Empire sat in the ruling council. These houses were called "major houses", and often had influence far beyond their own house. Often, their position in council alone allowed the major houses to forge alliances and close bonds with many lesser ones.

Historical major houses include high elven Mystraleth and wood elven Tammanamay.

Foreign Policy

Because of its scattered nature, the empire had little formal contact with its neighbors. Most houses individually managed their relations with non-Elvish neighbors as well as other houses, usually taking a common stance with all other houses on major issues.

Many houses used their militias to keep some, such as dadys or orcs, from treading on their turf. Friendly trade was possible with the Dwarven Empire and occasionally with other states.

Military

The empire had no state army; each house maintained its own militia, which the council could theoretically call upon. Notably, House Mystraleth had a powerful army.

History

The Elvish Empire was born through backstabbing the Dady Empire. Elven slaves, quite appreciated by the dadys, suddenly revolted in unison, causing the eventual fall of the dady state and the rise of the elves. Elven armies reconquered previously dady territories. They formed the founding houses out of the various independent armies. Once the situation settled down and the independent elven factions adapted to ruling themselves, they summarily united into the Elvish Empire, under the rule of a council.

There was very little government authority, however, and the houses remained largely independent. In fact, the empire shattered into even more pieces, as the large founding houses - sometimes spanning over whole continents - broke into smaller houses which could be ruled by single families.

Throughout its existence, the empire faced very few grave threats. The independent house system kept any autocratic governments from appearing and there were no powerful hostile neighbors. The Dwarven Empire always remained a friendly trade partner, while even orcish Drubark and goblinoid Bromalnor could be kept outside imperial borders by house militias.

In the end, the grand eternal empire fell to civil strife. The empire collapsed, and the surviving houses had to retreat to the continent of Silur.