Exploring the World of Storm Raven: The Cambisian Empire

As the release date of Storm Raven approaches, I’m continuing a series of short posts on various parts of the world in which the book takes place. This third entry is about the mighty Cambisian Empire. You can also read the previous one about the Shattered Sea.

The Cambisian Empire is the dominant nation in the world of Storm Raven. It occupies the northern half of its continent, separated from the southern nations by the expansive Bosarazi Desert. With a large population and access to a wealth of resources, the Empire has a prosperous economy. However, the size of the nation presents a challenge when it comes to keeping order and defending from foreign threats. Internally, society is highly stratified. The nobility and wealthy merchants enjoy an opulent lifestyle, while most of the population labors in the fields and factories with little hope of moving to something better. In the capital of Manisa, there is a literal wall between the upper class and the rest of the city. Those at the top enjoy their luxury but have no interest in knowing the human cost.

The Empire’s main rival in the region is the Stalsta Confederation. That nation is the focus of the next piece, so I won’t go too much into detail about it. However, several years before the events of Storm Raven, there was a very bloody war between the two nations. Each side claims the other caused it and it is difficult for historians to determine the true cause. The end result was that the Empire claimed a valuable mining complex in the western portion of the continent and expelled the Confederation from the continent entirely. The Empire has turned this mine into a large prison facility where they send most criminals, deserters, and prisoners of war. The resources from this mine have helped fuel an economic boom in the Empire, as they invest in building up their cities and expand the military. This growth has left those at the bottom in the dust and the peasants and workers are growing resentful of those that are exploiting them. Nobody has dared rise up yet, but there are rumors that something is brewing.

Thanks for stopping by! Next time, we’ll take a look at the Stalsta Confederation.

If you’d like to learn more about Storm Raven or pre-order it, you can do that here.