The Nation of Sang
| Capital | Petuda |
| Demonym | Sanguine |
| Date Recognized | January 1, 1 XE |
| Population | 43,000,000 |
| Government Type | Imperial Monarchy |
| Current Head of State | Kaiser Zoltan Von Kiss |
Climate Zone: Everfall Zone
Sang is a wealthy Strigoi imperial state with the highest GDP per-capita of the Ten Great Sovereigns.
Sang is governed by a Kaiser or Kaiserin and five provincial dukes or duchesses associated with five Great Houses: von Dracula, von Karnstein, von Kiss, von Millavir, and von Petofi.
Its defining geographical feature is its location almost entirely within the dry, cool Everfall Zone, with agriculture shaped by Raging Fall. Its defining political tension is aristocratic succession and the relationship between imperial authority and the Great Houses.
The Petofi-Kiss War and Sang’s history of civil wars and aggressive imperial doctrine are key demonstrations of the instability inherent in its political structure.
Geography & Climate
Sang is almost entirely located in Everfall Zone. This zone is cool, dry, and arid. During Raging Fall, violent drying winds move across the western regions, but this period also creates an optimal mixed-crop season for agricultural regions such as Sang.
Sang’s agricultural success depends on precise timing, wind-resistant field systems, dryland crops, preserved food, and control of irrigation or river corridors.
Landmarks
Sang’s architecture favors stone towers, enclosed courtyards, windbreaks, subterranean storage, and fortified estates.The capital city of Petuda is built on a foundation of iron, ash, and black stone. Its architecture is heavily inspired by the ancient Order Cathedrals of Sang’s founding era and is engineered to inspire dread and reverence.
Its Palace of Thorns in the capital, is described as having “twin spires, veined with metallic thorns, stab into a perpetually red-stained sky, draped in deep crimson banners.” The palace ledges are lined with winged gargoyles featuring hollow eyes that produces smoke—rumored to house the sealed souls of traitors.Stained Glass: The buildings feature massive stained-glass windows depicting a history of tyrants, saints, and devourers, casting blood-red and violet hues. A central rose window spins like a “spider’s web of colored sorrow,” illuminated by psine-born fire.
Alba Luli River
The Alba Luli River passes through southern Sang before running through northern Jureslavia and into the Southern Strait. It is a religious landmark for Lalumists and Pentagonists alike.Noia Hoia Forest
The Noia Hoia Forest is the root of many lowborn Sanguine conspiracy theories and horror stories, but it is also a must-visit destination for traveling explorers and wanderers worth their name.
Nestled in the exact middle of the Transyluda Province and six miles away from House von Dracula’s palace, Transylvania, the forest is sometimes called the Forest of Ligeia or the Devil’s Forest.
It is known for its many mysterious disappearances. It is also the only place in the world where the Crimson Camellia, also known as the Devil’s Rose, naturally grows.
Many believe the flower produces a floral hydrosol with properties identical to human blood. Only the von Draculas know the truth for certain, as picking any part of the plant or its flowers is the only forbidden law of the forest.
Sang’s Five Provinces
Sang’s five provincial structures make rivers, roads, and defensible estates important centers of Great House power.
The lower ranges of Mount Karpati run through the Udakiss Province in southwestern Sang before continuing into the higher ranges found across most of southern Jureslavia.
Government & Politics
Sang is ruled by a Kaiser or Kaiserin alongside five dukes or duchesses who govern five provinces. The provincial rulers traditionally belong to the five Great Houses.
The system combines imperial monarchy with aristocratic provincial sovereignty. The Kaiser is the national symbol and central ruler, but the Great Houses control regional institutions, economic activity, and political networks.
The Five Provinces of Sang
- Udakiss
- Transyluda
- Province of Petuda
- Dissivir
- Karnuda
Economic Overview
Sang operates under a system of Imperial Mercantilism.
Its petition system allows economic activity to be legalized through approval of a submitted request to the ruler of a province. The Kaiser or Kaiserin retains the ability to reverse that approval if they possess the power to enforce the decision.
The economic power of Sang ultimately hinges upon what the Five Great Houses permit, control, and invest in.
Sang is one of Kepler’s wealthiest states by a substantial margin. Its high GDP per capita reflects the extraordinary concentration of wealth and economic productivity controlled by the imperial government, Great Houses, and wealthy merchants.
Major Imports
- Cullstock, Cattle, and Swine: Imported from Eiria.
- Everbloom Trees: Imported from Eiria.
- Red Everbloom Trees: Imported from Uttaria.
- Broums: Imported from Uttaria.
Major Exports
- Blood: Exported to Hordad, Uttaria, and Evelyn.
- Psinecraft Armory: Armory made or infused with Psinecraft.
- Psinecore: Exported to Delsur.
The Jackolan Corporation is the largest company from Sang. It is run by Wolfgang Jackolan, one of the Seven Great Wanderers and the richest man on Kepler.
Economic Indicators
- GDP: 6.5 trillion UK.
- GDP per capita: Approximately 151,200 UK.
- Currency: Jureslavic Guilder (JSG).
Sang Military
Sang’s primary military is controlled by House von Karnstein.
It is divided into two primary forces:
- Ghostwalkers: The personal guards of the Kaiser or Kaiserin.
- Karnstein Covenant: The bulk of Sang’s military forces, controlled by the head of House von Karnstein.
Each Great House also commands private guards, provincial troops, bloodline militias, and extensive patronage networks.
Relationship with the Continental Border Assault Regiment
As a sovereign state, Sang has the highest C-BAR protection priority. C-BAR cannot normally intervene in Sang’s internal conflicts.
C-BAR’s presence is accepted as an external stabilizer of Sang’s borders and is appreciated for its anti-interference policy.
Ancient Bloodline and Imperial Foundations
Sang is one of the oldest sovereign traditions in Kepler and is shaped by ancient bloodlines, the five Great Houses, and imperial governance.
Recognition
Sang was formally recognized on January 1, 1 XE as one of the first four sovereign states. However, its existence dates back as far as 500 BXE, when it existed as the Republic of Sange during what became known as the Era of Five States.
Sang is almost as old as Jureslavia, but its history has been marked by several periods of near-collapse.
One of the most notable examples was the Year of No Kaisers, when the imperial throne remained vacant from November 257 XE to December 258 XE during the Petofi-Kiss War.
Sang also experienced several periods in which its existing political order actually collapsed and was replaced.
The first major transition occurred when the Republic of Sange became Sange Imperiya in 1 XE. This transformation was primarily caused by the effects of the Convergence War and its economic consequences rather than internal political strife.
The Fall of Sange Imperiya
Sange Imperiya, also known as the Blood Empire and the Era of Five Kingdoms, emerged shortly after the end of the Convergence War.
The Sanguine people rebuilt their empire in the vein of Strigoi identity and cultural pride. The reconstruction gave rise to five kingdoms, each possessing different political outlooks while fundamentally sharing the same goal: restoring Sange to prosperity and preserving pride in Sanguine heritage.
House von Karnstein
The von Karnsteins represented the military faction. The House had lost territories during the Convergence War and was internally divided over its future.
Two of its leading figures became particularly opposed to one another. One possessed pride not only in Sanguine heritage and culture but also in the Karnstein name itself. The other wanted to abandon personal ambition for the sake of the kingdom and pledge fealty to whoever wore the crown.
The two sides eventually agreed to the arrangement, although at the time it functioned more as a treaty than as an established law.
During this period, the Kaiser possessed virtually no political power and served primarily as a figurehead for Sange within the World Council.
House von Millavir
The von Millavirs sought to foster prosperity through the people of Sang rather than through its government.
They viewed the people themselves as the ultimate representatives of the state and believed that Sange’s recovery should come from the prosperity and strength of its population.
House von Kiss
The von Kisses were primarily concerned with protecting Sanguine territory.
Their political outlook was shaped heavily by the bloodshed and stolen lands resulting from the Convergence War. They sought both to protect Sanguine territory and to obtain revenge for the losses suffered during the conflict.
House von Dracula
The von Draculas were descendants of Vlad von Dracula, one of the original folk heroes and Great Wanderers associated with Strigoi pride.
Half of the House remained relatively lethargic toward politics despite their fearsome reputation. The other half wore that fearsome reputation as a badge of honor.
Anyone who attacked them risked complete annihilation, representing a major transition from the leniency shown toward their enemies during the Convergence War.
House von Petofi
The von Petofis were descendants of the founders of the Republic of Sange.
They wanted to return to the republican system, believing that the importance of the people should be reflected through the government responsible for laying down and enforcing the laws of the land.
The Blood Empire Wars
As the years passed, each kingdom became increasingly entrenched in its own ideals and increasingly isolated from the others.
At the same time, the position of Kaiser gradually gained more power as the World Council became increasingly legitimate.
Between 109 XE, when Holy Metzia joined the World Council, and March 125 XE, when Atteria joined, the leaders of the Great Houses increasingly began to see the Kaiser’s crown as a tool through which they could impose their respective ideals.
This ultimately culminated in the famous Blood Empire Wars, which spanned from 125 XE to 220 XE.
Throughout the wars, and even before them, only members of House von Dracula or House von Petofi had been crowned Kaiser.
This changed in 190 XE, when House von Karnstein finally held the imperial crown. A decade later, the crown passed to House von Kiss.
By 220 XE, the rise of Kaiser Koga von Millavir finally brought peace back to Sange.
For the next thirty years, the empire experienced a period of relative stability.
Kaiser Koga and the Formation of Modern Sang
During his reign, Kaiser Koga moved the capital from Targoviste, the capital of the Transyluda Kingdom ruled by House von Dracula, to Lower Petuda, the capital of the Petuda Kingdom ruled by House von Petofi.
In 240 XE, Sange Imperiya officially transitioned into Sang.
The five kingdoms were demoted to provinces, transforming the former kingdoms into administrative divisions within a unified state.
The von Karnsteins also formally codified their fealty to the Kaiser into law.
The transformation marked the formal beginning of modern Sang, preserving the influence of the five Great Houses while replacing the old five-kingdom structure with a unified imperial state.
The period of stability ended in 250 XE when Kaiser Koga von Millavir died.
The Petofi-Kiss War
The Petofi-Kiss War officially began in 257 XE when Andrei von Petofi murdered Kinga von Kiss, known throughout Sang as Kinga the Tyrant.
However, tensions between the two Houses had existed long before the assassination.
The Year of No Kaisers
In 258 XE, the imperial throne remained vacant, creating the period known as the Year of No Kaisers.
The following year became known as the Year of Five Kaisers, during which five different Kaisers held or claimed the imperial throne amid the continuing conflict.
The year ultimately ended with Kaiser Andor von Kiss, the son of Kinga von Kiss, rising to power.
The Scourge Andrei Petofi
Kaiser Andor ordered the arrest of Andrei Petofi, who had been stripped of his nobility and branded the Scourge.
While inside the Petofi Palace, Andrei set the building on fire as a distraction before murdering his entire family and escaping.
Some accounts claim that he was driven mad by a Disturbed State of Psinecraft, although the exact circumstances remain uncertain.
Andrei Petofi remained free throughout Kepler until 272 XE, when he returned to Sang and killed Kaiser Andor von Kiss.
He was eventually subdued by the Continental Border Assault Regiment, working alongside Sang’s forces to capture him.
Following his capture, Andrei was imprisoned within Warden’s Maw.
The von Millavir Generation
Vladimir von Millavir grew up during both the fall of the Blood Empire and the Petofi-Kiss War.
He eventually became Duke and patriarch of House von Millavir.
Despite being the head of one of Sang’s five Great Houses, Vladimir rejects the personal pursuit of the imperial crown.
The 299 XE Crisis
The 299 XE crisis threatens to reactivate old Great House rivalries and expose whether the Kaiser can maintain control over the provinces without C-BAR assistance.
Culture & Society
Sang is 100% Strigoi and has a population of approximately 43 million. Its culture is shaped by bloodline, provincial identity, aristocratic titles, wealth concentration, and imperial ceremony.
Familiars: Sanguine nobility and elite are often accompanied by totemic familiars, such as sickle-beaked crows, spined cats, glass-eyed hounds, and highly intelligent dire wolves. Macabre Fashion: The elite dress in feathered masks and onyx-feathered coats. During the Crimson Requiem period, nobles don crimson masks with obsidian filigree shaped like hollowed-out faces caught mid-scream.Pentagonism is the official state religion. It emerged after the Convergence War and maps five divine aspects to the classes of Psinecraft.
The Bloodwind: A deep-seated superstition among Strigois of Sang. It is a specific scent on the wind believed to precede catastrophic events—something bad enough to “wake the old ones.”Radical sects interpret Tulburo Lume as a reincarnation of Ligeia, the deity of chaos, death, and destruction.
Lalumism is also practiced by many in Sang.
The Alba Luli River crosses into southern Sang, linking the country to Lalumist ritual geography.
Crescent
Crescent is well suited to Sang’s aristocratic and gambling culture. Particularly, David’s Goliath laws and its volatile, aggressive variant are popular in high-stakes gambling.
Sang’s Great Houses maintain distinct Crescent traditions. Many houses prefer different variations, while some even create their own laws.
Race Relations
Strigoi identity is the national norm, but it is not necessarily a guarantee of equality. House status, bloodline, wealth, and provincial affiliation matter more than race within Sang.
Normans and Espers who are aware of Sang’s social environment often avoid the country entirely, even during periods of peace. The absence of war does not mean that an individual cannot behave in a predatory or discriminatory manner.
Notable Figures
- Kaiser Zoltan von Kiss — Current Kaiser.
- Vladimir von Millavir — A Sanguine Duke and patriarch of House von Millavir.
- Andrei Petofi — Scourge of Sang and escaped Warden’s Maw prisoner; profile unavailable.
- Wolfgang Jackolan — Great Wanderer and richest man on Kepler.
- Koga von Millavir — Kaiser who reunited Sang and brought peace during his reign.