Beelzenia

Beelzenia, traditionally called the Beelzenian Empire and once known as the Crimson Country, is a state in the Bolganio continent's Evillious region. Originally the largest imperial power after the Magic Kingdom Levianta's destruction, it slowly lost momentum and broke apart over the centuries, becoming overshadowed by the growing Kingdom of Lucifenia.

Early History
Following the destruction of the Magic Kingdom Levianta, the Beelzenian Empire became the largest imperial power in Evillious, known as the "country born under the new moon". In EC 136, the Empire grew concerned when a growing number of women vanished within the Asmodean region. After the perpetrator, Duke Sateriajis Venomania, was killed by Count Kachess in EC 137, the empire pardoned Crim of his crime in light of the circumstances. Following the Venomania Event, the territory eventually began to campaign and later win its independence in EC 212, separating from Beelzenia and forming its own nation.

Conchita Disappearance
Due to the constant food shortages plaguing Beelzenia, Banica Conchita travelled to foreign countries in January of EC 316. Upon her return, she introduced many new cuisines to the nation and helped alleviate the shortage. Around June of EC 325, rumors spread throughout the Empire that Banica had resorted to cannibalism. In response, they hired Elluka Clockworker to help investigate the situation. In July, the apostate castle was raided and found mysteriously empty. Determining Conchita had fled, the Empire ended Elluka's investigation.

Decline
In EC 399, Beelzenia's north-western territory declared independence from the empire, creating the Kingdom of Lucifenia. In EC 475, Lucifenia declared war on Beelzenia and invaded. As the war dragged on, the empire lost much of its territory. In EC 490, the Goula plague exploded in its southern territories and suffered another invasion from Lucifenia. With the plague killing King Arth in EC 491, the Kingdom made peace with the Beelzenian Empire and ended the fighting. As a result of the epidemic, many graveyards were constructed to bury the infected dead.

In EC 501, the Empire accepted the Lucifenian Resistance into their borders after their defeat at Retasan Fortress. Following the Kingdom of Marlon's order to release the fugitives into their custody, the empire refused and incoprorated the soldiers into the Beelzenian Imperial army. Four years later, Beelzenia was invaded by Marlon from their annexed Lucifenian territory.

Power Structure
Developing into a massive imperial power, the Beelzenian Empire developed into an autocracy, ruled by the emperor who held absolute power. Below the emperor were his heirs, the princes and princesses who were assigned jurisdiction over the empire's affairs and were tasked with helping to manage the enormous nation.

Below them were the Five Dukes, powerful lords who managed the militaries and economies of their individual province. Below the dukes were the marquises and then the earls, aristocrats charged with ruling the emperor's and duke's territories in his or her stead.

Beneath each earl were the barons, who controlled small areas of territory and acts as the aides to the higher ranks of nobility, some serving the Beelzenian Royal Family. Each position within the government was subject to a hereditary line-of-succession with the firstborn male usually inheriting the position and title; in cases where no legitimate heir existed, the closest female heir was selected instead.

Military
The Beelzenian Imperial army was divided between each province, commanded by the province's duke and later its warlord. Because of this, the dukes had an enormous amount of freedom within their territory and were able to enforce the empire's laws and improve its military as they saw fit.

However, the system's level of freedom gave the military more loyalty to the province's leader rather than the emperor, with the dukes and warlords able to act on their own and even rebel against the empire without a military court martial or insurrection. The military's strength and dominance in Evillious slowly dwindled over time, downsizing until the military could barely protect the nation's shrunken borders, forced to incorporate foreigners into their ranks.

Economy
The Beelzenian Empire adopted the feudal system, with peasants of an earls' territory required to farm the fields for the nation's agriculture. In exchange, it is assumed the peasants were given a moderate fee or permitted to live on the land they worked and take a small portion of the harvest. The city of Rockbane grew into a wine orchard after the creation of Blood Grave, with the legendary wine being developed and sold as a high-quality drink throughout all of Evillious from the city. The Empire did not have a large fishing industry, partially because the Three Suns and Moons Sea was impossible to fish, theorized to be because it was infertile.

Society and Culture
Beelzenian society was largely divided and segregated between its social classes and even its regions. Because of its massive size, areas within its borders were left to the devices of the dukes, leading to a strong social identity between provinces rather than the empire as a whole. Over time, these social divides lead to the empire's fragmentation, with Asmodean and later Lucifenia breaking off and establishing their own nations.

Beelzenians were characteristically identified by having red or almond brown hair and similarly colored eyes. However, because the empire encompassed such a large area, it was composed of many different races and ethnicities and was largely tolerant of them, showing no apparent signs of discrimination. After the Asmo-Beelzenian War, relations between the Empire and the Kingdom of Lucifenia soured and the nations were constantly in tenuous harmony.

At first, the empire was culinarily uneducated, lacking a diversity in their meals and food. With the expeditions of Banica Conchita, the Beelzenian diet greatly expanded and her actions were a huge contribution to influence their food culture, developing the famed Blood Grave with the help of the farmers. Similarly, tales of Banica's rumored cannibalism and mysterious disappearance made her an item of folklore and legend, creating the story of the Vampire Girl Vaniqa Conchita, the "Repulsive Food Eater". As part of the legend, Vaniqa was possessed by a glass "vessel" and would wither and die if she did not drink human blood for three days.

Levin was the main religion practiced in Beelzenia, with graveyards constructed due to its practices across the region. Each of the Five Dukes could bestow a title of nobility based upon their family name to a commoner, recognizing them for their actions or place within the province.

Geography and Climate
Beelzenia is a southern region of Evillious, located directly below Lucifenia and Asmodean. At its height, the empire controlled much of middle Evillious, encompassing a diverse field of landscapes from Asmodean's deserts and mountains to Lucifenia's fields and grasslands.

After losing much of its territories over the years, the ailing empire was comprised of only the areas immediately around the Imperial City, keeping outposts along its borders with Lucifenia to protect what remained and stretching to its limits southward at its ocean. From it's eastern sea, the moon could be just above its horizon, earning it its alias as "the country born under the new moon".

Imperial City
The capital city of Beelzenia in the east, near its eastern sea. Its most important location is the Beelzenian Royal Palace.

Royal Palace
The residence of the Beelzenian Royal Family in the Imperial City. It functioned as the center of political power in the Beelzenian Empire.

Gureiba
A farmer city located East of the Imperial City and the Conchita estate. On its eastern shore was the Three Suns and Moon Sea, an ocean inadequate for fishing with a vivid and clear blue color. It was famous for its tomato-eating competition.

Conchita Mansion
The abode of the Conchita family, located atop a mountain in a city south of Rockbane. Following the disappearance of Banica Conchita the mansion, like the city, was abandoned and fell into disarray, becoming an old ruin by the 6th century EC.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * The Beelzenian Empire is inspired by the real world Roman Empire; several of the events in Beelzenia's history mirror the Roman Empire's decline and subsequent invasions by foreign nations.
 * Its Deadly Sinner, Banica Conchita, shares characteristics with Vlad the Impaler of Romania; Romania was annexed as part of the Roman Empire at the turn of the second century AD.
 * Its history and culture also shares influences with the real world country of Spain.
 * Its name is based on Beelzebub, the patron demon of Gluttony.

Curiosities

 * Beelzenia's characteristic presence of cemeteries along with its connection to Gluttony and Banica Conchita reference the Master of the Graveyard.