Overview Geography History & Culture

History & Culture

During the conquests of the First Emperor many records of the world that came before were destroyed, however inscriptions, oral histories, and even some texts from the old world still survive. History becomes much more firm with the establishment of the Imperial Archives by Empress Mirka Talvus, the great granddaughter of the first Emperor. She established a network of Universities, Libraries, and Museums which collect and preserve old artefacts, and keep detailed records of the Empire.

The Hunink Creation Inscription

In a time before time Tagnaas was a world of chaos; the land a lake of fire and the sky was a roiling mass of dense clouds, unbearably thick with humidity and smog. Nothing lived on the world, and it seemed nothing ever would.

Injured from battle in another realm a god stepped into the upper reaches of the sky above Tagnaas, gasping in pain from his injuries. He looked around with his one remaining eye and saw in this inhospitable world a hiding place, a world he could craft into a refuge where he could heal. Hunink was his name; the Broken One. A god of storms, of winds and rains from a people now dead and dying. The last of his priests had wrapped his shattered form in linen to stop his power from bleeding out. He took hold of the strip wrapped around his head to cover his missing eye and unravelled it. From the pit tears of blood and pain flowed freely, cascading down into the sky and carrying with them a pouring rain.

The land below hissed and sizzled as the holy rain reached it, lava hardening to stone and water pooling into lakes and finally an ocean that began to cover the newly formed land. Hunink wrapped the gauze around his socket once more, and then curled up in an alcove near the top of the highest mountain to rest. He slept for 100 days and 100 nights all the while the rain pouring around him. On the last night of his deep sleep, he was awoken by something that Tagnaas had never before seen; a single snowflake blew into his shelter and came to rest upon his cheek.

Hunink emerged into a world completely changed. An ocean spanned the entire world, with only the tallest of peaks still poking out. Without the smog, Tagnaas was becoming a very cold place. There was still much work to be done if he were to turn this into a home. He turned back to his alcove and waved his hand, leaving this inscription to mark the beginning of his great work.

-Inscription found on a flat face of quartz in a cave at the peak of Mount Salli, date unknown
Archivist's Note

This inscription was found at the peak the highest mountain of the Hursag mountains, and is believed to have been carved by an ancient peoples who worshipped it as a holy site. Unfortunately no other physical evidence was found nearby and studies at such altitudes are extraordinarily difficult, so little is known about precisely which culture carved it. The story closely aligns with other early versions of the Pagan creation myth that existed before the rise of the Church of Barethus pointing to a truly ancient origin. It seems likely that ancient cultures noticed the evidence for global flooding following the last great climactic shift and developed this etiology in response. It is written in a script which is similar to early forms of Eshansin and that has only been seen in one other known instance, the Mestrbjarg Obelisk. The Obelisk contains a lengthy treaty written in Dwarven runes, Elvish script, this script now known as proto-Humanic, and another unknown script which does not appear to be related to any known language. Further work has since revealed that surviving Human languages all seem to be related to this earliest form, thus the name proto-Humanic.

Inquisition's Notes on the Old Gods

Before the revealation of the divinity of our great lord Barethus, the peoples of what would become the empire held to strange, pagan beliefs. Rather than the one true God, they believed in a divine family of sorts who ruled over the world. We now of course know that the First Emperor was the physical manifestation of the one true God sent to us to unite the world and cleanse it of such heresy. However, cults that worship these old pretender gods still occasionally exist, and so it's important for our inquisitors to be aware of the pantheon when questioning potential heretics.

Highest amongst the old gods was Hunink. He was depicted as a man covered in gauze-wrapped injuries and described as fickle, paranoid, and angry due to his many wounds. Legend has it that he gave the world form, created the other dieties, and drew in mortals from other realms to populate his world. He is often referred to as the Broken One.

Hunink himself was not terribly interested in governing the heavens, this world was just his refuge. Instead, he created three daughters to rule in his stead; Eshar the Goddess of Life and Death who he created by mixing his blood with clay and shaping her, Hatrai the Goddess of Intelligence and Trickery who he carved from stone and inscribed his knowledge into, and Kururiyahh the Goddess of Passion and Violence who he forged into shape from metal melted from his sword. These Goddesses embody both the good and bad parts of their nature, and so were treated with equal parts respect and fear by their adherents. They are each described as so indescribably beautiful as to be difficult to look upon without going mad, and depictions of them are typically vague because of it.

The three sisters themselves took mortal lovers, and gave birth to a number of minor gods. They each take after an aspect of their mother's domain, here is a brief list of some of the most prominent:

If you hear anything which might indicate that someone is a follower of one of these false gods, report it to your superior. Do not confront them youselves, some followers are versed in dark arts and it is more important to uncover the entire cult than to take down one single heretic. Be ever vigilant, brothers and sisters. May the Emperor ever guide you.

Letter from Grand Inquisitor Saara to the Frithwa chapter of the Inquisition, 3rd Ahead Patan, 246 IA
Archivist's Note

The Inquisition was established by the Second Emperor and grandson of the First Emperor, Appan Talvus in the year 96 IA, the 3rd year of his reign. After his grandfather's death, he raised him to Godhood and devoted his life to spreading his belief. The Inquisition was founded as a means to suppress worship of the Old Gods and the practice of unapproved magic but in the process they ended up recording many of the oral histories of other peoples, albeit through a biased lens. Their records were declassified in the year 678 IA and form the basis of much of what is known about the Age of Mythology.

The theology that they recorded is dualistic in nature, with each divine being representing both the good and bad of the domain they represent. There is no good and evil, the dieties simply embody their nature. The one exception to this is the patron diety himself, Hunink, who is mostly portrayed as disinterested in the mortal world and concerned with his own well being. If anything, he is seen as a hostile entity driven to bitterness and wrath by an existence of constant pain. Why he is in pain is not entirely clear, though many sources reference a battle that he escaped to this world from.

What has been particularly interesting has been the discovery that nearly all peoples worshipped the same Pantheon, with some variation over time and geography. This extended beyond humanity as well, even the Elves and Dwarves seemed to worship Hunink and his offspring. Several theories exist to explain this phenomenon, with the one most favored by scholars being that Hunink represents a cultural memory of an early ruler that conquered much of the land during the Age of Mythology, though the lack of physical evidence means that we cannot be certain.

Journal of Anittas son of Harapseki

Day 13 of the expedition and we've finally almost made it to our destination; Amthrevwar, the city of the High Elves. We set up camp tonight to the side of a hill pass overlooking the valley in which it resides. It's still a half day's ride, but we're able to just make out the city in the evening light. Impossibly tall and thin spires rise from the dense jungle canopy to pierce the brilliant sunset and catch its last rays in a dazzling display. They'll never admit to it, but the elves are definitely a people who like to put on a show. They'll talk to you about efficiency and logic and the natural order, but when it comes down to it they make sure everything they do is beautiful too. Even the armor on the guard accompanying us is far more ornate than necessary for its function. Ornate, but not gaudy. I've got to give them that, it's a classy kind of showy.

My nerves are definitely getting the best of me. Years of silence and isolation, and then in the last few months we've seen troop movements, diplomats being sent to our neighbors, and finally demanding an ambassador meet their council in their own city? As far as is known, they don't allow outsiders in at all, so why now? My Lady was evasive about what she knew, which just makes my job all the more difficult. I have to trust that she knows what she's doing and do my best to advocate for peace and friendship, but given that she was calling up levies herself, I am concerned about being left in the dark.

Tomorrow should bring clarity to everything, the guard has told me that I will be meeting with the council as soon as we enter the city. May Hatrai bless this meeting with rationality and Kururiyahh rest her blade.

-Last journal entry of Anittas son of Harapsek, ambassador of the Principality of Paniutne, 6th Behind Teriyana, 132 BE
Archivist's Note

In the late second century BE, the Elves had been plotting a great magical ritual to expand their forests and push back the encroaching human tribes that they shared the forest with. Learning of this plan, the Eshanasin principalities had started to gather their forces to try to put an end to it. Queen Zahhiya had hoped to establish formal relations with the insular Elves and invite them to meet with her. They used the ambassador she sent as a blood sacrifice to complete their ritual, and what followed was 34 years of war. The Elves initially seemed unstoppable, however their long lifespans meant that they were unable to replenish their losses, and they began to be pushed back. In the end they were forced to hire mercenary groups in order to sieze control of the Essana River and subjugate the Eshanas people. They continued to employ a number of mercenary corps to govern the territory, and a little over a century later Barethus Talvus rose to be captain of one of those companies.

The Great Sealing

In the 30th year of his divine reign, our great Lord Barethus enacted his will upon the world in a way never before seen. Seeking to cripple the power of the fey creatures and of the magics they weilded, he gathered together his Imperial mages and devised a plan to ensure the eternal power of the Empire. He bled himself every day for months and had the blood enchanted to prevent clotting, and when enough was collected he gave each of his 30 high mages a location where they must go to draw in his divine blood a complex arcane circle. They went forth and did his bidding, drawing across the entire empire identical circles at the sites which would eventually become the 30 Great Cathedrals. When the last of them had returned to him, he gathered together the surviving members of the former Elven council, and one by one tore out their hearts and drew the largest circle with their lifeblood in the center of his palace. This ritual circle anchored the other 30, and when completed glowed with his holy power and sealed the world away from the other realms. All were made mortal, all were equalized, and the Empire was forever afterwards protected from the chaotic forces of the other realms.

-Excerpt from The Life of a Living God, Barathra Kartu, published 2356 IA
Archivist's Note

The grisly details of the Great Sealing are rarely discussed in the modern world, however they are largely believed by scholars to be accurate. The blood sacrifice of the Elven council led to the First Fey Revolt, an extended and bloody war which saw Amthrevwar razed to the ground. The Great Sealing had other effects as well; the lifespan of elves which could stretch over a millenia were shortened to rarely more than 250 years, the great spirits of nature reverted to simple animals and plants, and perhaps most impactfully connections to the other planes of existence were severed. Other planes still exist and larely mirror the nature of the old ones, however they were empty immediately after the Sealing, and have since spawned warped mirrors of their old landscapes and denizens.

The Friathwan Rebellion

By the third year of the war, things had changed. The initial conviction and enthusiasm faded quickly, but even after that a sense of determination had persisted amongst the troops; we were doing the right thing, this was a just cause, we were fighting against rebels who were seeking to destroy the unity of the Empire. But by that third year...war was no longer something that was right, it became just something that was. We woke up to the sound of artillery, dragged ourselves to the mud pit we called a mess for a breakfast of canned meat and biscuits, and then took up our places along the trenches. You got used to the gunfire, and the smell, and the constant damp and cold. In a sense, you even got used to the faces around you slowly disappearing and being replaced with new, young ones. After a while you stop trying to learn their names, if they stick around long enough you pick it up, but why waste the effort when they might not be there tomorrow? You get used to it...and then you never really stop being used to it, even years later when it's not the truth anymore.

In the middle of Mieana, we started to suddenly get a whole lot more supplies and new faces coming in. A lot more. People from all across the Empire, even some from the East, bright eyed and rosey cheeked boys barely over 18 and without a whisker on them. They didn't really know what to do with me, most had only heard horror stories of Friathwans, fighting alongside one just did not compute for them. Lieutenant Anahid would tell them that my parents moved to the capital before I was born, that I was a loyal Imperial soldier, that I had been here from the start of it all, but I mostly couldn't be bothered. When you see that amount of manpower and munitions gathering, I had no doubt few of them would be around in a few weeks anyways.

When we finally got the call, it was the middle of the night. The Lieutenant tapped my shoulder and whispered, "it's time" and I joined her going down the line shaking the rest of the crew awake, finger to my lips to signify silence. Best way to not get shot is to not be noticed, and I wasn't about to let some whelp fresh on the line get me shot. We got up to the line and I double checked everything; rifle, rounds, canteen, rations, knife. Then again; rifle, rounds, canteen, rations, knife. Guy named Ekasrinke only checked once a few months back only to get into a knife fight and realize he had left it behind. The enemy was more than willing to let him borrow theirs blade first in the gut. Doesn't hurt to check twice.

Suddenly, the trenches opposite us lit up with a thunderous series of explosions as our artillery laid into them with an intensive volley of rune-inscribed shells. Clouds of smoke billowed out from the impacts providing cover for our charge. That was our sign to go. I lept up, dragged the kid next to me out of the trench, and started charging across the open field. Took them a few moments, but eventually the Friathwan line opened up on us. The cracks of rifles started breaking out in rapid succession, rounds whizzing past and throwing up dirt as they fired wildly into our charge. I heard a ping next to me and the kid I'd dragged up flopped over with a big ol' hole in his helmet. Didn't even have a chance to scream, just *ping* and dead. I didn't waste time though, every second out of the trench is another second where that can happen to you.

As I neared the enemy trenches, I saw one of the rebels raising their rifle at me, but he was far too slow. I jumped on him, pushed him back, and stabbed my bayonet right through his throat. His buddy fumbled with a pistol but before he could get it out I had my knife out and through his eye. Lieutenant Anahid dropped down next to me and shot another of them with her revolver. All along the line we were pushing them back. I turned to her and frowned, "That was a bit easy, they didn't put up the usual fight." She glanced at me and gave a disapproving grunt. She shrugged, "It's unsettling, but I guess I'd rather too easy than too hard. Just keep your eyes out." Like that needed to be said, you always stayed on your toes on the front. Otherwise, *ping* and dead. Still...orders were orders, "Yes Ma'am."

We ate well that day, and felt downright good about ourselves. You usually don't make much progress on the front, and we'd pushed them back across a few miles of it. Almost felt a glimmer of hope there, maybe year 3 would be the last. The next day word came down the line. They'd pulled back from here on purpose. To the West, they'd managed to gather their forces and make a push themselves. The entire 3rd division had gotten themselves surrounded on the coast, and those that survived had been forced to surrender. They'd come out on top on that tit-for-tat exchange. The war wasn't anywhere near being done.

-Excerpt from Life on the Line, Euric Alaviv, published 2472 IA
Archivist's Note

Twenty four years ago, in the year 2454, the Friathwan people rebelled. The old way of life was changing; artisans were being replaced by factories, cities were becoming overcrowded, price controls were devastating rural communities, and the people felt like the distant Imperial Capital cared not for their plight. A firebrand leader named Cniva arose, drawing people from all walks of life in with his empassioned speeches, and in the process he killed or drove out the old Dukes and Imperial guard. They swept across the land, siezing fortresses by surprise and quickly growing in number. The resulting war lasted 8 years, during which time over 560,000 were killed on both sides. The nature of war changed in the process, revealing how outdated the Imperial forces were and how science and industry were coming to dominate society. Today, the scars of the conflict can still be seen in the landscape and the imposing military presense throughout Friathwan lands, though the area has once again become a propserous part of the Empire.