Caleah

Caleah
Caleah is a strong, highly centralized empire in Eastern Aelkot. Those who are unfamiliar with the nation and it's internal politics would expect it to be a nation in decline as it's current territory is approximately 25% of what it once held after the succession of The Republic of Pwllheney, The Kingdom of Colme, Lanneim from the Calean empire. What remains is a productive and highly developed heartland with the administrative and autocratic might needed to control a very large and disparate holding.

History
The old kingdom of Caleah has existed in some form or another languishing under ineffective kings since the initial Elven exodus from Ollambac. In 1037 DR the Queen Regent of Caleah Mirri Cantus declared that after the passing of her husband the crown would not fall to her infant son but stay in her hands until she was finished with it. She was extremely popular and effective. A period of expansion lasted until 1248 DR. This was sustained until her death in 1475 DR.

Emperor Franz Cantus ascended to his aunt's throne's in 1475 DR after his cousin surrendered his claim. He lacked the charisma to maintain such an Empire by force of personality and so developed the administration he would need to do so. However, it was too little too late, and rebellions began. In the spring of 1480 DR a great rebellion sprang up. Ultimately Caleah would lose the war and recede to more or less it's current size.

Internal Politics
Emperor Franz is coming up on 129 years on the throne. While his rule was initially quite rough he has grown into a very competent emperor who admits his weakness and plays to his strengths. He is married to Illya of Doors, heir to The City of Doors. Should she ascend to the throne Caleah would be joined in a personal union with Illya's holdings uniting The City of Doors with a nation on the Material Plane.

The Emperor is an autocrat. All political authority within the empire exists because it is permitted to. There is no noble class outside the ruling family and the ruling family enjoys no special protection under the law. A large and well paid administration exists to serve the Emperor. A complex system of checks and balances between five parallel government branches is costly to maintain but operates very smoothly and is thought to be effective at reducing vice.

Economy
Caleah enjoys the benefits of duty free trade with the City of Doors from the marriage between the Emperor and the heir to the City. This has given the nation the finest access to the markets of the world available. The free trade this allows has caused Caleah's economy to change from an agricultural/resource based economy to a much more robust goods economy.

Caleah went through a painful process of currency exchange in 1580 DR that lasted until approximately 1590 DR. During this time an aluminium doped gold-silver currency known as the Crown was exchanged for the Fia, a fiat currency held at equal exchange rate with the Doorish Floren.