Imperial history

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The History of the Empire

The Empire is founded 476 years ago from a quarrelsome group of independent kingdoms. It is closer to a federation or a republic than a true Empire. There is no ruling family; successive Emperors tend to come from different Nations, and there are checks and balances in place that empower individuals within the Empire to question and resist the dictates of the Emperor. The Emperor is not only a figurehead however. He possesses real power to make decisions, with the Senate and the Synod as advisory bodies. The Egregores of the Nations are inclined to support and assist the Emperor, as if he was one of their own number to whom they have sworn allegiance. The Empire is kept together by the civil service, whose foremost loyalty lies with the Empire itself as a body. A shared currency, a shared set of values and a shared legal system make the Empire stronger than the sum of its constituent parts. Many Nations have a strong belief that if they were not part of the Empire they would be quickly swallowed up by the barbarians.

Pre-Empire Years

• Successive waves of colonisation create proto-nations.
• Conflict with the barbarians begin

Several waves of colonization create the structures that will eventually become the Nations. This is a period marked by external conflict with the barbarians and within and between the human proto-Nations. Some of these early Nations have connections to structures that will eventually become Foreigners, but all quickly gain effective independence.

Year Zero (476 years ago)

• The Empress convinces the eight nations to unite against the barbarian threat
• The Empire is founded

The First Empress is from the Nation of Basilikon. She may or may not have been the actual ruler of that Nation. Seeing the human Nations in turmoil and on the verge of destruction at the hands of the Barbarians, she takes action. She collects a small court of like-minded individuals from various Nations. With their assistance, and with her own character and charisma, she brings together the leaders of the Nations to discuss the Barbarian threat. Her vision and cleverness convince various Nations to recognise the value of an Empire. When they recognise the woman as Empress, she immediately breaks her ties to Basilikon and declares herself the first citizen of the Empire proper. In doing so she lays the groundwork for future Imperials to hold themselves apart from the nations of their birth, and for the various servants of the Empire (especially the civil service) to cultivate a neutrality that allows them to serve the Empire as a whole rather than any one part of it.

Year One (475 years ago)

• A period of conflict begins during which the early Empire strengthens its

borders and conquers its neighbours. The early Empire turns its attention to those humans who have not chosen to be part of the Empire. There is a period of violent conflict and revolution during which various Nations “clean house” and solidify their identity as part of the Empire. During this time the orcs in particular become increasingly violent and aggressive. Many campaigns are fought against the orcs.

Year Ten

• The Senate, the Synod and the Council of Generals set up
• A currency is created

The Empress and her advisors create structures to support and empower the Empire – the Senate to advise the Empress and rule in her absence, the Synod to form the “Heart and soul” of the Empire, and the Council of Generals to protect it and expand its borders. This power sharing is a clever move to ensure no one group can easily dominate the entire empire, and to ensure that a weak or vainglorious Emperor can be controlled and channelled.

The Empress also sets up the process whereby a new Emperor or Empress will be chosen, intentionally removing the ability for rulers to create lineages or royal houses. She ensures that no one Nation will easily dominate the Empire, but that instead it will be ruled for the betterment of all. At this time the Empress also makes it illegal to use the old gold and silver coins that had been popular in many nations. Rather than continue to exist in circumstances where different currencies vied for supremacy, she establishes a single currency based on steel coins issued by the Imperial Mint.

Year Twenty Two

• The Empress Dies
• The First Emperor establishes the seasonal meetings at the site of the first
• The First Empress reigns for twenty-two years before she dies.

Her successor is appointed using the rules she has put into place. His first act is to begin the tradition of meeting once every three months at the site of the first meeting where the Empire was formed. A Senate building is built on the site, and it is declared Imperial Territory. During the Emperor’s rule, there is some rebellion that must be dealt with, and the Senate and Synod begin to flex their muscles as legislative bodies.

Year Thirty

• The last horse dies

Precisely why horses died out is unclear. They are known to have existed, and the first Empress is always shown on a horse. By year thirty, however, there are no more horses. Never numerous, it is believed that horses are not native to the Empire but were imported by some of the original settlers. They do not prosper in the Empire, and are largely unknown among the Foreigners with whom the Empire deals.

Stability: Year 300 (175 years ago)

• Crazed Emperor burns the universities
• Civil War threatens

The first major “wobble” in the Empire occurs during the reign of an otherwise reasonable Emperor. Following the death of his family in an accident, he becomes increasingly paranoid and unstable. He sees conspiracies under every bush. His increasingly unpopular policies divide the Senate and the Synod, and there are rumbles of Civil War. Several free thinkers are arrested and executed during this period, accused of formenting dissent and treason. He turns his attention to the wizards, accusing one of their number of having used magic to try and kill him. It becomes increasingly clear that he is not in his right mind, but opinions are divided as to how to deal with him. Things come to a head when the Emperor sends his troops to burn down universities and libraries. Using Imperial Troops against their own people threatens to destroy the Empire. There is a revolt, which culminates in the destruction of the central repository of records in Basilikon. The mad emperor is executed by the captain of his own guard, who then immediately hands himself over to the Judiciary for his crime. He is executed as a traitor, while simultaneously being lauded as an exemplar of courage and duty. The destruction of the libraries leaves a great big hole in the history of the Empire. While records exist, there are many gaps and those that remain are fragmentary. Over the next hundred and seventy-five years scholars try to recreate the books and records they have lost, but with mixed success.

Stability: Year 320 (155 years ago)

• A period of stability
• The Empire stops growing
• Orcs join the Empire

The Senate decrees that the Empire is now “big enough” and argues that further expansion is counterproductive, despite vociferous argument from the General Staff and the Synod. Prosperity follows. Trade routes with various Foreigners are established, and peace treaties are signed with various barbarians. Some barbarians continue to threaten the borders, but the army is forced into a defensive role. Some territories change hands several times over this period. At some point during or just prior to this time, a handful of small orc tribes choose to join the Empire. The Imperials are pleased with the deal because they are getting dedicated shock troops. The Orcs are pleased with the deal because they are leaving a hunter-gatherer environment for an environment where their warrior ethic can prosper. Both sides think they are getting the better of the deal.

Decline: Year 424 (50 years ago)

• Stagnation leads to decline
• Successive weak emperors allow territory to be lost to barbarians
• Discontent grows in Empire

The period of stability slowly devolves into a period of decline. Territories are lost to the barbarians. A greedy and corrupt Senate, more concerned about its internal political manoeuvring than the strength of the Empire, supports two successive “average” emperors and a third catastrophically incompetent ruler.

Year 474 (2 years ago)

• A vibrant young Empress comes to the throne
• Seen as a reincarnation of the first Empress, she galvanizes the Empire
• Some territory is reclaimed by the orcs

The new Empress, in the wake of the disastrous previous Emperor, takes up the sword and shield and challenges the corruption of the Senate and Synod. She demands and receives powers for herself and the Generals, and begins to formulate and prosecute a campaign to recover lost territories and drive the barbarians back. A popular and charismatic figure, she unites the people of the Empire behind her and deals ruthlessly with her enemies. The Empire begins to drive the barbarians back.

Year 476 (this year)

• The new Empress dies on campaign, creating a power vaccum

The Empress is killed on campaign. The first event of the year takes place some short time after her death. It is possible her body has yet to be recovered and will make part of the plot for the first year.