![[empire.png]] Monarchal Empire. The Calradian Empire is in decline. Even before the murder of the Emperor [[Arenicos]], the once united realm was torn by political rivalries. Today, those factions are in open war. Yet Calradians endure. They are technologically more advanced than their neighbors and their mastery of engineering is not just evident in their aqueducts, beautiful architecture and massive city walls. It also makes them experts in siege warfare. **Last Emperor,** [[Arenicos]] [[Pethros]] # The Culture ![[__0005s_0000_ui_fullbackgrounds_2-copy-29.png|inlR|150]]The Calradians are the people of the Empire, though by now they have given their name to the entire continent which they dominate. A thousand years ago, they were an undistinguished tribe living in the hill country between the southern sea and the [[Battanian]] woods. One tradition set them apart from their neighbors - the [[Calradoi]] had no kings. Their citizenry has always taken an intense interest in the art of self-government, the balance between protecting the liberty of individuals and the needs of the state. Perhaps this is why they had a slight edge in the endless wars between one town and another, keeping armies in the field just a little longer, bouncing back just a little more quickly from a defeat. Some of their neighbors federated with them; others were overrun. Eventually the Calradians formed an empire, which evolved into a monarchy in all but name. Their leaders are no longer distinguished civic elders but great landholders scattered across the continent; the striking force of their armies is no longer citizen-infantry but heavily armored cataphracts in the retinues of the wealthy. But they still take their civic traditions very seriously, believing that the Calradian ideal can unite a continent in peace, if only the ”barbarians” beyond their borders would agree to submit to it. [— spcultures.XML] I was born out on the steppe, but **imperial slavers** took me when I was a girl. **The Empire had legends of warrior-women out in the deep steppe**, and when I was sold, they claimed I was one of these - to entertain them by making their legends come true. They taught be to use a sword, and I learned well. [<font color="#2DC26B"> — Bannerlord.XML</font>] # Calradian Empire's Peak (**Pax Calradica**) ![[peak of calradian empire prior to 882.png]] According to [[Asaios]]: (See page [[6]].) > **In the south, we imagine the Battanians ([[High-Kingdom-of-Battania]]) as tattooed savages living like beasts.** > [...] [[Asaios]]: (See page [[9]].) > **In the south ([[Calradian-Empire]], [[Southern-Empire]]), we tell tales of the Sturgians as though they were half-wild man-bears, cousins to the wolfish Battanians, obsessed with war.** When I entered the gates I saw the Boyar [[Olek]] [[Kuloving]] ride by, and he really was an image out of a southerner's nightmares - **all bearskins and metal and beard, and a great scowl on his face.** 'Senon' [[the-Scholar-(Imperial)]] > I'm an engineer. Most of us learned our trade and got our contacts through the army. It was a good system: it was the emperor's money, so the emperor's servants kept a close eye on us. But as everyone knows, **the emperor ran out of money**[...] > (Could be [[Drosios]], but it's likely [[Arenicos]] because of his reforms to save money. See [[the-Boar]]) Osarios [[the-Boar]] > I blame [[Arenicos]] and his so-called reforms. **It saved him silver**, but now our armies are just blown-up lords' retinues - toadies, farmers who have no business on the battlefield, a few good men but not enough. There's no pride and no discipline. No wonder that we're squabbling among ourselves these days, being mocked by the barbarians we used to rule. 'Khachin' [[the-She-Wolf]] > Slavers took me when I was a girl. The [[Calradian-Empire]] tell legends of warrior-women out in the deep steppe, and when I was sold, they claimed I was one of these - to fight other slaves, to entertain them by making their legends come true. > Well, perhaps there is something to those legends, because I did very well for myself, and made my master very rich. **[[Imperial]] law now decrees that men are not allowed to kill in the arena**, but no one pries into what happens at the private entertainments of the rich, and over a score of my fellow slaves must have felt my blade in their chest. > > (Likely [[Southern-Empire]] part of [[Calradia-Conti.]] due to the "Eastern Legends part, could be [[Hongeros]] or [[Vizartos]] who are noted as expressly cruel.) [[of-the-Hills-(Imperial)]] > My old comrades - I see them sometimes from time to time, some in a lord's retinue, others in a cage **with R for 'robber' branded on their forehead**. # Topics ![[__0005s_0003_ui_fullbackgrounds_2-copy-30.png|inlR|150]][[Senate]] and it's members [[Battle-of-Pendraic]] the events and dialogue about it and most likely series of events, re-creation (the map of [[Calradia-Conti.]] was different in earlier versions of Bannerlord, for instance, Pendraic castle was next to [[Lageta]] in earlier releases but was later moved between [[High-Kingdom-of-Battania]], [[Kingdom-of-Vlandia]], and [[Principality-of-Sturgia]] much further from it's original placement.) [See maps: 2019 gamescon version] According to [[Asaios]], [[Imperial]] citizens imagine [[High-Kingdom-of-Battania]] residents to be tattooed savages. The Empire values [[High-Kingdom-of-Battania]]'s white sweat strong grape wines, see [[Battania Villages List]]. ![[2019 gamescon version.png|inlL|400]] # In Summary ![[__0005s_0004_ui_fullbackgrounds_2-copy-31.png|inlR|150]]The Calradian Empire is in decline. Even before the murder of the Emperor [[Arenicos]], the once united realm was torn by political rivalries. Today, those factions are in open war. Yet Calradians endure. They are technologically more advanced than their neighbors and their mastery of engineering is not just evident in their aqueducts, beautiful architecture and massive city walls. It also makes them experts in siege warfare. [— (StoryMode) module_strings.XML] # Clans [[Osticos]] history - old patricians. [[Argoros]] - northern wards. [[Neretzes]] - lost land in [[Kingdom-of-Vlandia]]. [[Comnos]] - populists. [[Varros]] history. [[Dionicos]] - western frontier [[Pethros]] history. [[Mestricaros]] history. [[Leonipardes]] history. [— world_lore_strings.XML]