Allegiance Blog Tour: The Empire of Cokyri

Synopsis for Legacy, the first book in the trilogy...

In her seventeenth year, Princess Alera of Hytanica faces one duty: to marry the man who will be king. But her father's choice of suitor fills her with despair.

When the palace guard captures and intruder—a boy her age with steel-blue eyes, hailing from her kingdom's greatest enemy—Alera is alarmed…and intrigued. But she could not have guessed that their clandestine meetings would unveil the dark legacy shadowing both their lands.

In this mystical world of court conspiracies and blood magic, loyalties will be tested. Courage won't be enough. And as the battle begins for everything Alera holds dear, love may be the downfall of a kingdom.

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An Introduction to the Empire of Cokyri

The Empire:


Cokyri lies to the west of the Recorah River in the high desert area of the Niñeyre Mountain Range. It
is reached either by crossing the Cokyrian Desert which lies to the south, or by approach through the mountains themselves. The land is rugged and starkly beautiful, with deciduous trees in the foothills and pine trees in the high desert areas. Weather is dry and temperate, with four seasons. Most
precipitation falls in the winter as snow.


The Empire’s wealth comes from the mining of jewels and precious metals. Due to the aridity of the land, they have difficulty growing their own crops, so they trade with other kingdoms for what they need.


Cokyri is also a land of ingenuity and invention, with advancements that other kingdoms have yet to discover. This includes not only advancements in weaponry, but devices that make day-to-day living easier, such as lighting and plumbing systems. Their focus is on functionality and practicality.


The City:


The city is fully walled and built into the dark gray stone of the mountain that surrounds it. All of the streets are paved, and everything is clean, almost pristine. Most residences and businesses have sheltered and columned front entries and wide arching windows. The Empire strongly believes in the development of its most important resource, the minds of its citizens, and the city boasts a large library which is open to all.


Rulers and Line of Succession:


The Empire of Cokyri has historically been ruled by an Empress, who has powers both of this world and from the magical realm. The mystical powers pass upon birth to the Empress’s first-born daughter. However, when the last Empress gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, her powers divided equally, one-half vesting in each child. Thus, Cokyri is currently ruled by the High Priestess and the Overlord. The Overlord runs the military and enforces the law. The High Priestess rules Cokyri in all other respects.


The High Priestess’s Temple:


The Temple has two separate wings and stands three stories tall. It is made of white stone with elegant gold patterns chiseled into its walls. Like most of the buildings in Cokyri, the front of the Temple has massive columns and wide, arching windows. On the inside, the floors are marble, and gold chandeliers provide lighting. In addition to tapestries adorning the walls, there are also intricately painted murals.


The Overlord’s Hall:


The Overlord has a massive stone hall out of which the military is run. Lawbreakers are sentenced and punished within its walls, and prisoners of war are interrogated. It has a large dungeon, but no torture devices are needed. The Overlord has the ability to cause pain with a wave of his hand.


The Military:


The head of the Cokyrian Military is the Overlord, whose role is to enforce the law within Cokyri as well as to protect the Cokyrian people from their enemies.


With the exception of the Overlord, the vast majority of military officers are female, while men make up the fighting forces. Men are not generally placed in command positions, being viewed as too hot-headed to make decisions under pressure.


The Cokyrian military is known both for its superior strategy and its uncommon ruthlessness. While Cokyrians view war as a last resort, they will do what is necessary to win. In addition to standard types of weapons, such as swords, daggers, and bows, Cokyri is well known for weapons of stealth. For example, they have exploding powder, concealed daggers, and poisoned darts that are hidden as stitching within their belts.


Military uniforms are generally black with red accents, and consist of leggings and tunics that are loose-fitting for ease of movement. Shirts and coats button asymmetrically off to one side.


Education:


Males and females receive very similar educations, including instruction in reading, writing, math, science, and history. In addition, everyone is taught to handle weapons and to ride horses. Military training is incorporated into the regular education system and thus begins at a very early age.


Family Life:

A woman chooses a man, and if he accepts, he is marked with a tattoo around his forearm. The tattoo is a great honor — men in Cokyri are proud to bear it. Cokyri has no official religion. Some people seek the High Priestess’s approval to be bound, but they come to her of their own accord.


Fathers are not trusted to raise their children in Cokyri. Children are raised in a communal environment by their mothers and a group of maidens.


Both women and men can own property and inherit wealth. Many businesses are owned and run by women.

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