The Ghul-Gani were once a powerful force of the ancient world. This mighty empire of cyclops, giants, and dragons reigned over as much as a third of the globe before abruptly descending into anarchy and civil war. Before they could completely destroy themselves, it is postulated that a great storm of divine origin blasted the last great strongholds from existance and buried the rest of the once powerful empire.
In modern days, ruins of the empire are discovered all across the shattered seas. Whether unearthed by the breaking or discovered by the reach of civilization against the wilderness, each of these ruins is a unique tapestry of untold wonder, unrivaled danger, and unplumbed mystery.
Little is known about the organization of the Ghul-gan empire save for what is gleaned from the frescos and carvings of their ruined cities. The right to rule is thought to descend from power and force of arms as many of the cities depict scenes of subjugation and domination. Racial or species seemed to matter little as some locales depict dragonkind in seats of rule while others portray cyclops or giants. Rule is thought oth ave been absolute within city-states but the level of autonomy the possesed from the empire is unclear. For them to have spread so far with so unified a purpose, it is speculated that a level of control was excercised against these little kingdoms.
Modern scholars are almost certain that the Ghol-Gani did not use any sort of currency. What little Azlanti coin has been found amongst Ghol-Gani ruins seems to have been solely used as a trade good valued for its precious metals and artistry. It is believed that, at least from the classical period onwards, food and other necessities were distributed based on status as well as through a complex system of auguries and mysterious superstitions.
It is clear from what is left of the vast empire that the chief asset of the Ghul-Gani was their slave population. Numbers vary from scholar to scholar, but it is thought that at the height of their power the Ghul-Gan Empire had more than 100 slaves per free citizen. Most of these slaves were from humanoid races of the material plane but depictions of powerful entities from other realms can be found among Ghul-Gan ruins of today.
Beyond slaves, the empire had a mastery of necromantic, divination, and abjuration magics as well as access to abundant natural resources at their height. The magic of the Ghul-gan was particularly callous relying on canabalism and blood sacrifice to feul it's dark doings. It is thought that indulgence in these arts and darker tastes is what ultimately pushed the Ghul-Gan to their collapse.
The true scope of the Ghul-Gan history is muddy but many scholars believe that it dates back to the age of Antivum when the avatars of gods still roamed
The Planes. The name is thought to be Cyclopean in origin and many of the practices stem from early cyclopean societies, particularly their mastery of auguries.
The empire grew slowly at first but as dragons become hunted across The Material Plane and beyond, they allied with the empire breathing new life into it. Along with them and the giants, the empire expanded violently until it controlled more than a third of Breon. Some records seem to indicate that holdings existed in other planes but this has yet to be corroborated. Still other documents, largely Ghul-Gani in origin claim that they are responsible for the slaying of several deific avatars though these records are suspect at best and some are considered to be works of fiction.
Records of the Ghul-Gan Empire exist for nearly 5000 years until their sudden collapse into anarchy. In the span of a decade, the powerful empire fell to in-fighting, fractured, and was ultimately wiped out. The final demise ii lost to time as are many other records from that time.
