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
Not necessarily. Regular soul gems can only capture a normal "soul" which is simply just the vague life force transferred into a shiny rock while the actual consciousness of the (non-sapient) creature passes through Mundus, like Arkay intended. The reason why Black Soul Gems are so taboo is that they trap the whole soul (consciousness and personality and all), including/especially from sapients, and exchange them with a group of eldritch beings in exchange for a more potent enchantment.