The first part of the world that was being mapped out was the continent of Solumn. This was done in a much more simple, much easier, much faster method of terrain generation but suffered from pre-professional DM levels of detail. So let's talk about this map for a bit.
Attached are 2 very zoomed out mini versions of the map, but the full, scrollable map can be found here. The first version is just a normal, easy to see, version. The second has the regions of control for the Voraci Empire. Those detail are toward the bottom of the post, and if you feel like you understand what you're looking at, do skip to that section. For those who want a quick walkthrough of what all the stuff on the first version (without the big numbered blobs) is, read on!
Legend
Dark blue is oceanGreen is landPurple areas are swampsGrey areas are mountainsDark green areas densely wooded areasSmall green dots are wooded areasSmall brown dots are hills or rough terrainLight blue lines are riversLight blue areas are lakesBrown line are roadsBeige zones are deserts
There are a few other miscellaneous signs, colors, and transitions in there whose meaning should be self evident upon consideration. At least it is to me, the one who made it.
ScaleThe map of Arcadia is very carefully calibrated to a scale of 10px = 1 mile. Solumn was just sort of doodled with a vague idea of "the villages along the road are 1 day of travel apart". But that doesn't mean they're all an 8 hour walk apart. These dots could be as close as 3 hours if the following town would be too far to reach in that same day. This distance is measured in time, not milage, and so in rough terrain the same distance on the map might mean a much closer distance in space.
CivilizationThis map was built with the idea that "civilization is where the roads are", and so only marks out settlements that are along a major road. It also marks out every settlement along a major road, no matter how insignificant. The dot size is a rough correlation to population and area, but without any specific scale or consistancy. For example, you can see that Tides End is a HUGE dot that actually clips into the ocean.
FortsRed dots are forts, fortresses, heavily walled cities, defended points, or an otherwise extra militarized region.
Holy SitesMarked in a beige, these are locations of temples, sacred sites, natural wonders, spiritual centers, or otherwise divinely signified.
Voraci Empire
We have six regions marked out here. Each number corresponds to where the capital administration of the region is. Specifically:1 - Valesburg2 - Tides End3 - Atryllia4 - Fort Shimerstone5 - Holy City Ember Stone6 - Varkas
The Empire of Voraci is a religious, political, military, and logistical system that is overlayed on top of the former lines of power, not dissimilar to the way the Catholic Church oversaw relatively independent kingdoms of Europe for centuries. The chain of command looks something like this:
Oris > 4 Generals > Censors > Magistrates > Commanders > Units
Let's take them each in turn
OrisOnce a wonderful and noble cleric of goodness, he was twisted (by the actions of the PCs) into an evil man. He rose to power and created an empire. Pretty basic stuff. He's the big bad in charge of everything.
4 GeneralsWhile Oris has lots of power, he can't be everywhere all at once, and needs to work with others. To that end, he has 4 powerful generals who serve as the arm and legs of the empire. They can take command of any kingdom, region, or section of troops for any reason, and then release the asset back to its appointed overseer. This enables each general to be quickly adaptable to whatever task may be at hand.
Each general has some assets they call their own. Usually a significant personal guard of elite troops and casters, some form of transportation, a few choice cities or fortresses to hold their loot and some small personal armies waiting in reserve or performing some task.
CensorsA censor is in charge of a region or a front. The second map above shows 6 regions in western Solumn, but there are many more. Regions are pacified areas that need to be managed, fronts are areas in the process of conversion and pacification.
While any of the 4 Generals can size control of a Censor's territory, a Censor is answerable only to Oris himself. If one of the 4 Generals is unhappy with how a Censor is managing their duties, that General is welcome to take over the task themself (should they have capacity). But as soon as they relinquish the region or front, the Censor is right back in full control.
Censors in charge of regions have at their beck and call an army made of a few highly elite assets, their support staff, and a large swath of cheap cannon fodder. Think 20x 9th level griffon riding fighter/mages with a sea of goblins. The elite units can deal with the leadership of any trouble makers, while the massed minions can be used for labor, enforcement, searching, terrorizing, or whatever needs many hands to do.
The fronts of the expanding empire chew through a lot of meat, and so their Censors are in a constant state of recruitment and "retirement". The only consistent thing one could say about their command structure and assets is that it is always in flux. The back lines supply the front lines with whatever fresh troops can be scrounged up, and monsters long relegated to the shadows and corners are more than excited to live out their wildest dreams of sacking the whole world. New territories open up new recruits from the civilized, savage, and monstrous worlds.
MagistratesRegions are typically made up of a collection of kingdoms or smaller empires. A Magistrate oversees a kingdom or special territory and answers to their Censor. A magistrate is granted an appropriate garrison - not enough to wage war on the whole kingdom but enough keep the taxes and recruitment flowing.
Magistrates serve as the primary interface between the empire and those within it. Their word is law, and they wield the power of life or death over nobles and commoners alike. While it is within their charter to wield such a power over kings and queens, such a high level decision is something typically left to a Censor unless there is no time to call upon them.
Certain holy sites, unusual geographical areas, critical resource gathering, or jobs of particular importance are also overseen by Magistrates. For example, a Mithril mine would be overseen by a Magistrate, but in the territory of a Kingdom that has a Magistrate of its own. These situations are often dicey for all involved, and it takes the careful hand of the Censor to keep their subordinates in line.
CommandersThis is a catchall term for the upper ranks of military officers or clergy. They may answer to a Censor, a Magistrate, or even another Commander. They physically lead units and directly oversee the shedding of blood and collecting of loot.
UnitsThey do the work.
Example: Hornstead Kingdom
Magistrate Zerrah oversees the Hornstead Kingdom (from Outcasts). She has a small fort next to the castle in the capital, and ~500 men at her disposal. Because she is a powerful caster in her own right, she does not need subordinate spell casters of significance. If she requires the use of a cleric, she will tag whatever local clerics she could find.
Her staff is broken down into 3 groups:
Headquarters: These are the people that staff and protect her fort. They are scribes, servants, and mid level warriors with a few decent captains.
Scouts: Highly skilled and well motivated, these are the fast response units of the magistrate. When Zerrah call for something to be done, it is usually the scouts that do it. They relay orders, they intimidate, they transport people for questioning, and they act as her personal guard when she leaves the capital (some exceptions apply). Scouts travel light because they have ready access to the outposts staffed by Minions.
Minions: Cheap massed troops lead by ambitious individuals. They have stations and outposts across the kingdom that serve to remind the people of who is really in charge, as well as staff, maintain, and supply outposts for use by Zerrah's scouts, or higher up forces moving through the area.
Zerrah has the Hornstead Kingdom well in line, but is suffering from organized ambushes by the Fireflies. These targeted attacks undermine her ability to stay informed, destroy resource caches, and harass her patrols.
She must also contend with the monsters in the region who have yet to join the empire, and are instead picking at the Kingdom of Hornstead. While these monsters could be an excellent source of fresh recruits, something that would please her Censor, they must not be permitted to ruin the kingdom. Zerrah herself does not have the manpower to fight the monsters, so she must rely upon, and pressure, the very kingdom she oversees to protect themselves. Where possible she will be of assistance, but there is a fine line to be walked - the monsters keep the kingdom weak enough it cannot rebel and dependent upon the powerful wizard who strikes with precision when the going gets too tough.
The Kingdom of Hornstead has its own problems. Problems of political division, civil unrest, monsters, and long standing rivals across the swamp. These are not Zerrah's problems unless they impact the functioning of her taxation and recruitment. Zerrah may even welcome a small amount of civil war, or warring against neighboring kingdoms.