The Empire

Once, the Empire had a name.  It had a homeland, far to the east of here, on a craigy-cliffed island.  From the beautiful river delta at Berri and the wonderful deep water port of Hiria, the humans who lived there spread across the sea to the east and west.  These lands did not have the great hosts of orcs found in the west, nor the vile creatures of the eastern seas, and the region was so far below sea level that the underdark could not fit there.

The Imperials met the wandering tribes of Altu, the solem men of Unalith, the vicious highlanders of Adereem, the stubborn Goliaths and Dwarves of Arteko, the imperious High Elves of Felmenoria, and the ferocious Dragonborn of Rez.  But there were other lands to conquer.

It started small, with colonies in the unclaimed regions along a great bay, then buyouts of land along the great river, conquests of Adereem, and a marriage alliance with Altu.  The Felmenorians had a vast trade empire and began to clash with the Imperials of the Island for territory.  The high elves had ruled for five millennia before the arrival of humans and would not see all they had built be destroyed by some short lived islanders.

Sending emissaries to the other side of the sea, the elves beckoned the mountaineers of Adereem to come down from the Wolf Tooth Mountains.  These fierce humans ravaged the imperial colonies while the elves struck from the other side.  The empire in turn requested aid from Rez, the last nation they could call upon for aid.  The Dragonborn answered, invading and sacking the great cities of Felmenoria, and the elves were beaten.  Now with the hegemon of the area crushed, the human Empire took its place with the Dragonborn as its loyal watchdog.

Rez was exempted from taxation, so long as it's army was ready for war.  The Empire dismantled the trade empire of Felmenoria, cutting its land into smaller provinces.  Nation after nation submitted to the empire as it grew exponentially, but it was too fast for its own good.  The imperial homeland shook and great cracks appeared, threatening to sink their capital into the sea.  They built a new capital on the eastern shore of the sea, near Unalith.

A great force of wildmen from Adereem swarmed across the border once again, sensing the fragility of the empire.  The governor of Unalith could not hold them back and soon imperial territory was threatened.  The remnants of Felmenoria rose up, backed by a grand coalition, and the empire was nearly destroyed from within and without.

At this time, a new general appeared seemingly from nowhere and ended the invasion of Adereem.  Her name was Cran, and she asked but one thing: that Unalith and Adereem be given to her.  The emperor ascended, and gained another great watchdog, for she was an ancient silver dragon.  With the Imperial heartland secured on the west by Rez and on the east by Grand Duchess Cran, peace once more reigned.

It has now been nearly 3,000 years since those humans left the Imperial Isle for greener pastures.  Rez is still the Imperial watchdog, Cran has relinquished her role and joined the Council of Wyrms in distant lands unknown.  The Empire has grown twentyfold over that time and has nearly fallen to ruin many times.  It has faced rebellion, plague, natural disaster, ancient dragons, demonic invasion, political intrigue, and even the near destruction of reality during the time war.  It is now a giant, crippled by its own weight, struggling to take tiny steps.

Yet the Empire still stands.

Grand Dutchies that Still Stand

States