Okay, tell me what you think about this setting.
The Iron Empire
Long before the civilised races were civilised, ancient dragons ruled the land. They reigned from on high, and there was none that could challenge them. But then, they set their sights higher, conniving beings, as they were. They already ruled the earth; they should rule the heavens as well. They set their sights on the gods, and so, Heaven's War began.
War raged, and great magic was hurled wantonly. With the dragons' attention elsewhere, the younger races arose. They used the vestiges of the dragon's magic to fuel their own study, and finally, they threw off the dragons, and destroyed that now-weakened ancient race. But dragon magic is not that easily extinguished, nor does it's use come without a cost. Those that studied the magic of the dragons became powerful, but in doing so, some remnant of the souls of those dragons was bound to the younger races forever.
With the dragons' destruction, the war ended, and the gods drew back, licking their wounds. But there was one god, forever nameless, that did not. This god had not fought the dragons, but had bided his time while the others used their power. And now that they were weak, the dark god set his sights on the earth. His creations closed in around the young races, who were not yet strong enough to resist. His scribes whispered his laws into the ears of those most vulnerable to his dark power, and his Inquisitors strode through the land, unleashing his punishments on those who dared to defy him. What records remain from that time speak of horrors beyond compare.
Finally, though, as hope grew dim, a small group of heroes rose up, and ignoring the impossibility of their task, threw off the dark god's shackles. They waged war on the dark god. They weakened his power, and forged a path northward, to his citadel, and they destroyed him.
Wulfric, the leader of the heroes who fought the dark god, was crowned Emperor. He reigned for forty-seven years before passing the rule to his daughter, Laurentien. Every emperor and empress ruled fairly, but they also ruled with an iron fist, and thus the name of the Empire grew. Almost every vestige of pre-Imperial culture was stamped out, replaced by the growing belief in the Empire’s infallibility and immortality. A large part of this was owed to the Sceptre of Ages that was the Emperor’s symbol. Its origin was never known, but its first appearance was shortly after Reinholdt I - Wulfric's grandson - returned from the dark north.
The rule of his dynasty lasted for nearly 700 years, but in 693 AI (Anno Imperii), disaster struck. The Sceptre of Ages was destroyed, and the last Emperor, Constantijn IV was killed. While speculation and conspiracy theories ran rampant as to the exact cause, there was little time to investigate. The blast of dark energy swept the Imperial capital and left death, destruction… and undeath… in it’s wake. Those who died from the blast rose quickly as mindless undead, and soon, the only things left in the city were the zombie hordes and the vermin that were beneath their notice.
Outside the capital, things began to break down rapidly. More than one claimant rose up to rule the remnants of the Empire. Without the Sceptre, however, no one had either the power or the legitimacy to stake a claim that would hold. As a result, the Empire has fragmented into multiple smaller realms. Now, several generations later, old loyalties are starting to return as new threats appear on the fringes of civilisation.
Last edited April 1, 2019 8:01 pm
