you got fucking kings, Torygg, Helseth, living gods of the Tribunal.... under an "Emperor"? who puts some garrisons around but does.... what exactly?
theres an "East Empire Trading Company"? whats that do?
it kinda seems like a holy roman empire, kinda seems like a regular roman empire. they've got knights, dukes, but a Legion...
yes i know the answer is technically "these jackoffs just made it up as they went" and don't care a lick about political theory but this is exactly the kind of excercise that makes fun speculative historiography
It was cooler before oblivion, aka before :todd: watched LotR and retconned Cyrodil from a SE asian-ish jungle to incredibly generic western high fantasy through omg CHIM :so-true:, with a lot of Imperial culture changing along with it. There are still hints of that more interesting version like with the Blades though
It was like if Rome and China were fused into a single political formation, burned to the ground in the name of generic XBox 360 grass and forgettable western european medieval aesthetics.
They brought back some of the Morrowind-esque characteristics of the Empire for Skyrim but it just felt so forced and out of place seeing non-Nords in armor without pants or sleeves patrolling an icy area in Haafingar like it was nothing. I actually would have preferred the somewhat unique Legion armor from Oblivion instead.
Pretty minor as far as instances of Bethesda's bad post-Morrowind worldbuilding go but still noticeable.