Netheril

"Power without restraint, ambition without judgement, immorality without limits. Great the Netherese may be, but they indebt their souls for their successes and when the day should come that they must pay for it.. Then only shall there be pity. Pity and death."
- Illefarn Lorekeeper
Netheril, also known as the 'Netherese Empire', is a magocratic human empire located in the north of Faerûn. Renowned for their mastery of the arcane, the Netherese have invented a variety of unique masterpieces the most impressive of which is their floating enclaves. The Netherese Empire itself is a collection of a separate demesnes, each ruled by a lord, who sits at the Netherese High Council. From internal law-setting to internal power struggles between demenses, each sub-state within the Netherese Empire remains largely independent and is often only drawn into global cohesion by the High Council when a universal threat, or opportunity, to the leading powers arises.

Netherese Empire
Xinlenal the first Netherese Flying Enclave.
Geography:
State Type: Empire Capital: Xinlenal Region(s): Anauroch, North Faerûn
Societal:
Demonym: Netherese Population: ~10 Million Alignment: Lawful Evil
Demographics:
Language(s): - 100% Netherese - 45% Loross	Race(s): - 90% Human - 2% Dwarf - 2% Gnome - 2% Halfling - 2% Elf - 2% Other	Religion(s): - 15% Amaunator - 15% Mystryl - 15% Jannath - 15% Tynche - 10% Kozah - 10% Selune - 5% Targus - 5% Jergal - 10% Other
Political:
Government System: Magocratic Council Leader: High Mages Council
Trade Partner(s): - Delzoun	Public Ally(s): None	Public Enemy(s): None

Society

Netherese Demenses

The Netherese Empire was not one unified body, but rather a collection of independent fiefdoms which were usually governed by a single lord, most often an Archmage. Each demesne varied in size, some could include one or two villages while others might range to half-a-dozen depending to the influence of the lord in question. Certain particularly affluent lords ruled over their demesnes from Flying Netherese Enclaves while others remained ground bound, either in a traditional castle or a land-locked Enclave.

Demesnes officially acknowledged by the Netherese High Council of Mages were offered the opportunity to join the 'Netherese Empire', a political and economic union, which would afford them a seat at the High Council of Mages. This opportunity brought a great amount of prestige as well as some amount of political influence in external affairs.

High Council of Mages

Officially brought into existence into existence in -2487 DR, the High Council was formed to unify the Netherese leading nobility and combat the growing fragmentation which had been caused by the competing ambitions of separate Netherese lords. Thsee escalations had, at times, tempered on the verge of plunging the Netherese continent into civil war on multiple areas for multiple reasons. The Council was arranged as an assembly of peers which would serve as a method to arbitrate disputes and pull the collective resources of all the culturally Netherese Lords to combat universal problems when they arose. Joining the council required an agreement to adhere to the decisions voted on by the council however outside of this the onus on individual demesnes was insubstantial and left individual lords free to do as they pleased, provided their actions did not conflict with the other lords on the council that might prompt it being raised as an item to vote on. As a result, civil disputes and escalations continued to erupt occasionally between individual demesnes with the official council interference being rare. An individual lord's influence within the council relied largely on the resources they had to back them: gold, land-mass, soldiers and political shrewdness.

The Council itself convened within the Empire's Capital Xinlenal, and generally met once every half year unless issues arose to demand a more immediate assembly. Members were expected to attend in person as a mark of respect, as well as an added guarantee of avoiding any interception of matters being discussed. Decisions made were rarely unanimous, with a mixture of threats and bribes often being employed by the leading figures of a motion to ensure the unified cooperation of those lords who were not initially on-side.

The Council's meetings are conducted and run by a 'High Mage', This position is elected and relies on a majority vote from the current sitting Lords of the High Council. The High Mage has the responsibility to table emergency meetings, and table to items to be discussed each bi-yearly meeting as well as hosting the meeting itself. Ioulaum has been the High Mage since the council's inception and has retained the position for close to eight hundred years with his reputation instilling deference and respect that ensures the smooth running of business.

High Netheril

High Netheril was the name given to the elevated plane which the Netherese nobility ascended to atop their Flying Enclaves which provided them a detached sanctuary from the concerns below. Over time this distinct came to also relate social class, with those able to ascend to 'High Netheril' being viewed as superior to those who could not.

Lower Netheril

When the Netherese nobility began to ascend up and defined the term 'High Netheril' the term 'Low Netheril' naturally followed. 'Low Netheril' was the society left behind by those who could not ascend, most often these were the common social class and the less well off nobility. A quiet envy was felt by those below, as well as some scorn at being 'left behind' by their lords of ascended without them. While widely sought after not all Netherese nobility ascended, some remained below out of a lack of resources however others, a minority, failed to appreciate the allure of the prospect and felt their resources better spent elsewhere.