WORK IN PROGRESS
"The people shall be ruled with a crown, protected with a shield, and live like a dragon. They shall not know fear, nor dispair, for their champions will defend their lives, bring honor to their lineages, and expand this empire's goals and authority from this land to all others."— Ander Forwith, 3,307
The Thirewynian empire, as well as it's storied history, is expanse and often difficult even for seasoned scholars to fully comprehend. Thus, this article will detail some common knowledge that may bode useful to you prior to adventuring in this campaign setting. This article consists of context and knowledge that is important to know how the region the game takes place in operates, without getting into deeper dives into specific subjects. Links to more expansive articles will be available where possible.
Government and Rule of Law:
The Empire of Thirewyn has ties to the Elylian Empire, an regional power in the Riverlands that initially began under the rule of as a military-oriented Monarchy. The Elylian Empire was named after it's first ruler, Ambross Elylia, a military-leader who lead unification campaigns in the various local powers in the Riverlands in 3,225. His son Surgis, future ruler of the Elylian dynasty, would be born the same year of the Elylian Empire's creation. Surgis Elylia would take the throne in 3,278 at the age of 53 after his father's passing lead to a crisis and attempted coup. Committed to continue his father's legacy, and build his own with the time he had left at nearly twice the age of his father when he took power, Surgis would lead campaigns to expand the territory further North to Eastshade and Sidhurst, causing conflict with the regional power of the Edington Confederation for years to come even after the Elylian line had ended.
In the year of 3,306, Surgis would pass peacefully at the age of 81. With no heir to the throne, the region would once again be faced with a crisis. Several challengers would rise to the occassion to take the throne or portions of the unruled empire. While the court and generals bid for power amongst themselves, Ander Forwith, a general and advisor to the former emperor, would quell any notions of a crumbling empire when he used his forces to abandon the front line against the Confederation and march upon Dawnstar. Eyewitnesses say that he lead his forces into the capital city without bloodshed and sat upon the throne to declare himself the next ruler of the regional power. However, this would not be a continuation of the Elylian empire. With the war at a constant stalemate and domestic affairs at home leaving citizens starving and without a future, a decision was made to reorganize the structure of the ruling power to it's core. In 3,307, the Elylian Empire that ruled for two generations was snuffed out, and in it's place the Thirewynian Empire would be created.
In the years that would follow during Ander Forwith's rule any rebellions that took advantage of the power vaccum would be snuffed out. The government would be reorganized from one single ruler to what would be most equivilent to a Republic. At the top of the chain would be the emperor, with an Elder Council to both guide him and select a worthy successor when necessary. Cities would eventually also be given a voice in the new empire with Viceroys being vetted and placed into the seat of administrators to deal with the direct needs of their populations. After years of intermittent conflicts between the new empire and the Confederation, a peace agreement would finally be signed in 3,341, marking the start of a historic period in the regions history in which no official conflicts took place between regional powers. The peace would last for 100 years until The Times of Terror began.
The empire would continue to grow, engage in conflicts, and elect new leaders through the Elder Council. However, many still revere Ander Forwith, first emperor of the Thirewynian empire, as a chosen by the divine powers to bring peace to the land, and eventually the continent as a whole. In such, some titles associated with Ander Forwith in the years since his passing include "The First Father", "The Blessed Son", and "The Creator". Dramatic reinactings or reciting of his deeds or supposed words can often be observed during holidays such as Ancestor's Day or Regiment Day.
Religion and Faith:
The Imperial pantheon as adopted and incorperated into the Thirewynian Empire include two sections: The Sacred Seven, the most critically adopted divine powers, and other secondary dieties. It should be noted that Thirewynians don't consider dieties outside of the Sacred Seven to not be powerful, let alone unimportant. All dieties, even ones only known in legend and myth, are considered to be powerful and not to be mocked without the fear of punishment. However, while most temples will have a shrine or trinket for each diety recgonized by the Empire, the Sacred Seven often tend to be more luxurious and attended. Certain regions or professions may also hold one diety in a higher regard than another, due to their proximity to that diety's domain or associated power source. For example, a fishermen on the coast is more likely to worship Vekril more heavily than a merchant further inland who more heavily worships Zenith.
There is great debate among scholars on how the gods operate, the extent of their interaction and power over Alanor, and power rankings among them. Some scholars argue similar to the game of Magic the Harnessing certain gods will be considered more 'powerful' dependent on the proximity to their power source or the belief in the god's power by the wielder. However, followers of specific divine sources may also have their own dedicated temples, shrines, or public projects they participate in, fielding speculation.
There of course are other great powers that scholars claim to have studied, warriors claim to have fought, and the Empire tends to claim don't exist. These powers are often considered more mysterious, even trecherous, but are said to exist nonetheless. A common example is Vofrad, the herald of winters. Due to Alanor's 9-month calendar seasons are much shorter than in Earth's timeline, though Thirewyn at large does not experience a traditional 'winter'. There are of course legends that resurface from time to time when winter seasons tend to stay longer than expected, or snow drifts from the deep south expand further inland than in years past. Some legends tell of a war between Ellinor clerics traveling south in mass in Redfall to fight a secret war, while numerous other rumors and myths of other 'dark dieties' are said to exist and attempting to change the world in their image at any time.
Other Noteable Information:
- Alanor: Alanor is the name of the world, or plane, in which Thirewyn is located. Thirewyn is not the only continent on Alanor; The Elven Dominion also consists of various islands to the North-North-West of Thirewyn, and the mysterious land of Fharun beyond it with tales of other lesser known sub-species and ancient cultures. Citizens of Thirewyn largely only hear stories of the fabled land, and it is largely considered a faraway land of danger and mystery.
- Hexus and Tranquil: Alanor has twin moons that orbit it, keeping in line with a 24-hour cycle. Alanor's inhabitants have many theories and suspicions surrounding the moons, and the typical Thirewinian is no different. Hexus, sporting a red-violet hue, is said to resemble times of great change, war, or death. A common suspicion is that when Hexus becomes larger in appearance or shines brighter than it's sister-moon that it is the beginning a conflict or turmoil. It's twin Tranquil on the other hand, shining with a Azureish-White hue, resembles hope, peace, and new beginnings. When Tranquil appears larger in scale, or shines brightly over the land, it is said to be the sign of approval from the gods, perhaphs even Nebula herself. However, it is most likely that either moon will only be marginably larger than the other at any point, if they do not appear to be comparable. There are strange circumstances where the moons seem tied to changes in history, or the birth or death of a promiment figure, though we can only speculate if these have meaning or are only coincidence.
