The Phantom Empire

(Legacy Content)

Hark! I beseech thee! For he shall fall upon us with wrath most gruesome! He shall create a realm of living tended by the souls of the lost, enraptured by promises of peace! Rebuke the foe most foul, for when he arrives he shall claim us all!

— Anonymous, at the beginning of Dhelamut's conquest

The Phantom Empire was a nation established by Dhelamut, the Sovereign Lord, towards the end of the Second Era. It was the government that ruled his claimed lands by his or his steward's orders. Despite his constant statements of how this would bring about an ultimate peace to the world in time, his unethical disrespectful, and inhumane usage of the souls of those who died under his influence has long been vilified ever since it was discovered. However, arguably, his regime in quite possibly the "safest" living conditions Alore has ever seen.

Structure

The Phantom Empire is handled much in the same way as any autocratic regime, in that the emperor reigns supreme over all else, typically followed by their visier or steward who handles the day-to-day operations of the nation. From there, Dhelamut made sure to include as many of the previous city and town mayors that pledged loyalty were maintained in positions of power to handle smaller scale operations. And of course, the lowest on the totem pole were the millions of souls that defied his conquest, trapped and ensnared eternally to do his bidding - the Phantom Legions.

History

The Phantom Empire was established after Dhelamut, the Sovereign Lord, overthrew the old monarchy by subtly altering public opinion of the previous king through staged "disasters," after which he challenged the aging man to a duel - which, being a giant, he promptly won. He then set about conquering the continent of Gjalvalore and its surrounding territories, ensuring loyalty to his Empire wherever he went, and crushing and ensnaring dissenters when he found them. Such a brutal example being the people of Bleakwood, whom he utterly butchered. It was only after his fall from the throne that the damage he had done to the country could begin to be undone, though it would take a solid two centuries to fix completely.

Disbandment

The Phantom Empire fell in the final moments of Dhelamut's reign, since his death meant he could no longer command his Phantom Legions. As such, and with the noble sacrifice of one of his slayers, the damned souls kept hostage by the darkened Soul of Radiance were released, and the damage to Gjalvalore was halted. Of course, it would take a couple of centuries to repair the Gjalvalorean culture, economy, and infrastructure after this, but his fall ensured that no further damage could be done while such repairs were made.

DISBANDED/DISSOLVED

1 Saerazel, 9300 ASE - 30 Decezel, 9363 ASE

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Alternative Names

Dhelamut's Empire, Empire of the Damned Soul, The Darkened Radiance

Leader

Dhelamut, the Sovereign Lord

Additional Details

The Phantom Empire was named as such due to its overwhelming reliance on Dhelamut's Phantom Legions, both for its military forces and civilian infrastructure. These legions were entirely comprised of souls from the people slain in the presence of Dhelamut or one of his collectors, which he ensured to place all throughout his conquered lands.