Van Gogh

Biodata

History

Van Gogh is an ancient empire that has endured multiple dynasties. Its noble culture prizes lineage, martial strength, and honor, though social status is ordinarily determined at birth. Exceptional common-born figures can still rise through achievement and service. 56

The empire conquered the Soloya Islands—an archipelago east of the Maritime Nations—as a prospective staging point against the Maritime Nations. It enfeoffed four powerful Counts there, but blockades and pressure from rival powers gradually weakened imperial control. 248 273

By the period of the Evil God invasion and the war with Kexas, Van Gogh is strained internally and externally. Kent City faces panic and desertion, while the empire lacks the forces to intervene directly after Count Sailboat betrays Van Gogh and aligns with Kexas. 122 321

Emperor Louis XIII later shifts from opposing Colin Russell’s possession of the Dragon Slayer Sword to formally supporting him. Colin is publicly enfeoffed as the hereditary Grand Duke of Night, creating a major Van Gogh-aligned power in the east. 459 474

Government and Nobility

• Emperor Louis XIII — Van Gogh’s emperor, known as the Sun King. He rules from the Imperial Capital and uses enfeoffment to secure powerful nobles’ loyalty. 248 459
• Noble law — Noble rights are treated as legally protected; even the Emperor is said to lack the right to arbitrarily execute a noble. 471
• Territorial and titled nobility — Titles do not necessarily include land. Obtaining a fief generally requires substantial achievement, while territorial titles carry practical authority. 322
• Hereditary knights — Noble families maintain hereditary knights and knight orders, whose allegiance and military strength are central to territorial rule. 135 374
• Honor culture — Van Gogh nobles may value honor above life; defeated knights can request execution according to noble etiquette rather than accept disgrace. 135

Society and Power System

Van Gogh society is divided sharply between nobles and commoners, with bloodlines serving as a major marker of inherited status and combat potential. Knight bloodlines are classified through tiers including Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. 5 70

Knights and Magicians are not mutually exclusive professions. Magicians can enhance themselves with bloodlines, while advanced Knights may study magic; dual-class professionals are relatively common among the powerful. 70

• Knight academies train orthodox knights and organize quasi-knight orders for field operations. 56
• Knight ranks progress into the Transcendent realm after Sunrise Knight, with Level 7 High Knights able to wield Sword Qi. 70 460
• Magic organizations such as the Dark Secret Realm operate independently but remain connected to Van Gogh’s nobles and students. 122 177

Faith and Religion

Van Gogh’s ruling culture emphasizes bloodline and military strength rather than reverence for gods. The empire restricts the spread of benevolent faiths and suppresses Evil God cultists with force. 85

This stance becomes increasingly difficult to maintain after the Evil God invasion, as divine influence expands amid the empire’s military and political weakness. 152 249

Territories

Foreign Relations

• Kexas — A rising neighboring maritime power that has repeatedly suppressed Van Gogh despite having less overall territory. It supports Count Sailboat’s betrayal and seeks influence over the Soloya Islands. 447 321
• Maritime Nations — Van Gogh’s intended target when it conquered the Soloya Islands, though the islands’ blockade and regional instability hindered imperial expansion. 248
• Principality of Radiance and other god-aligned forces — Their expanding influence conflicts with Van Gogh’s traditionally secular noble order. 475 492
• Nature Forest — Not formally described as an imperial ally, but its support for Colin Russell strengthens a major Van Gogh noble during the struggle for eastern power. 459 473

Story Role

Van Gogh provides the political and social framework for Colin Russell’s rise: its bloodline hierarchy initially constrains him, while its noble laws, knightly institutions, and weakening imperial control create opportunities for his advancement. 56 322

The empire’s decline after war and divine unrest leaves it unable to directly reclaim the Soloya Islands. Colin’s establishment of power in the region therefore becomes strategically valuable to Louis XIII, who supports him as Grand Duke of Night rather than risk pushing him toward rival powers. 321 459

Trivia

• Van Gogh is described as one of the world’s few major nations that openly restricts religious expansion rather than placing faith at the center of state authority. 85
• The empire’s name is invoked as a source of identity and legitimacy by nobles and soldiers even in distant overseas territories. 254 282
• Although weakened, Van Gogh remains a globally significant power whose imperial backing can alter regional conflicts in the Maritime Nations. 401 492