The Ivory Empire

Summary

The Ivory Empire was an ancient kingdom ruled by Archdemons who controlled the entire continent of Pelatoria. During their thousand year reign, the Archdemons enslaved the human race and ruled with iron fists.

The empire was controlled by the Ivory Court, nine immortal Archdemons born in the Abyss who possessed god-like magic greater than any mortal witch or demons. Anyone who displeased the Ivory Court would be hunted down by the Ebony Witches, humans who had pledged their loyalty and servitude to the Lords in exchange for magic and power.

For a thousand years, humans were enslaved and kept in fear of the god-like Archdemons, until finally a hero rose to end the age of darkness.

The Dawnforger, Devilslayer and Harbinger of the Sun, was a human who killed the unkillable and brought down the Ivory Empire. Armed with a spear that could slay gods and infused with the blood of an immortal, the Harbinger of the Sun slew five members of the Ivory Court. The remaining four fled back to the Abyss, leaving human civilization free of their control.

The fall of the Ivory Empire marked the end of the Ivory Era and the beginning of the Dawn Era.

Historical Basis

The actual events of this age are shrouded in myth. The Ivory Court destroyed most historical records of the time, so little is known about their rise or what life was like before they came to power. Some legends even suggest that the Archdemons had always been in control of Leitoria, and that the beginning of the Dawn Era was the first time humans had ever been free of their rule.

Spread

All cultures in Pelatoria have legends of the Age of the Ivory Empire. Details vary between myths, but all of them agree that there was once a continent-spanning empire ruled by nine Archdemons who were eventually defeated by the Dawnforger.

Variations & Mutation

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The identity of the Dawnforger varies in almost every retelling. Sometimes the hero is a champion of gods, or actually is a god in mortal form. More often though, the Devilslayer is a human who journeyed to the depths of the Abyss and back and fought against impossible odds in order to slay the Archdemons.

The Herald of the Sun is usually given whatever character and attributes the storyteller's culture views as strong and admirable. The mysterious hero is rarely ever given a name or a physical description, and the Dawnkeeper Order considers it presumptuous or even near-blasphemous to create any depiction at all.

Cultural Reception

The nine Archdemons of the Ivory Court remain some of the most widespread symbols of darkness and evil across Leitoria. They often appear in stories as villains for mortal heroes to face.

Their use of the Ebony Witches has also made many fearful of witches and associate magic with the dreaded age of the Ivory Empire. Most cultures today avoid and revile magic, and even those that accept its practice draw a distinction between what they consider human magic and demonic magic.