Seldrinar Supremacy

The Seldrinar Supremacy, often shortened to just "The Supremacy," is one of the two great powers of Prima Terra and the largest nation state on the continent. The Supremacy spans the entire southern region of Prima Terra and gained territory within east and west marcia following the 40 year war. Spanning from the Terrasic Ocean in the west to the Dorric mountains in the east, the supremacy contains multiple key cities such as Ashk-Limas, Vhaeraun (Formally Goscantinople), Rellian City, and Kairomas. The supremacy largely occupies savannah lands with some rainforests on the southern coast and the dry desert of the Dragonbone Valley in its centre.
Despite controlling all aspects of the nation, the Seldrinar (Southern Elves) are in fact a minority within the supremacy. The Seldrinar have murky origins, with state propaganda claiming Seldros was a lost Sun Elf city repopulated by the survivors of the First Soulthek war during the second age, and from that heritage they claim the right to own all of Prima Terra to rebuild the lost empire. Within the propaganda, there is likely elemnents of truth. The city of Seldros and the southern elves are first recorded during the Marcian Empire as a small client state to the Vandalgarrian Empire, becoming indepdentent in the 1900s, 2e, when the empire collapsed.
The modern supremacy was created in during the Dark Age period, officially founded in 2243, 2e by Supremator Hellas the Great after the conquest of Tippytree, Tinkerton, and the Serpent Coast cities of Jast, Korlynn, and Yannos. Hellas would be infamous for sacking Goscantinople and Ashk-Limas. The second Supremator, Myras, continued to exapand the supremacy on Hellas's philosophy of elven domination and would convert the supremacy to the Dark Seldarine following their loss in the second crusade.

History

Origins

Official sources within the supremacy claim the Southern Elves are in fact surviving Sun Elves who escaped the wrath of Soulthek in the first Soulthek war at the end of the first age. Seldros itself is also claimed to be a lost Sun Elf colony, kept hidden from Soulthek during the war, using illusions to mask its location. There is likely some truth in this rather grandiose founding myth. Seldros probably was founded as Sun Elf settlement, and the Southern elves probably are descended from Sun Elves, but the notion of the original empire rebuilding itself within what was likely a small port and fishing settlement is unlikely. No northern or eastern historical guild has ever been allowed to excavate or examine Seldros itself, with only Southern Elves being allowed within the Old city, so any claims are hard to prove outside of convinently produced artefacts the Seldrinar themselves have supposidly found.

Seldros first enters the northern historical record in the Marcian Empire period. Official correspondences from diplomats to the emperor give stock of the southern Vandalgarian Empire's holdings and clients. A town named Seldrium, composed of orange skinned elves, was listed amongst the client nations. Since most of the Vandalgarian and successor Gorginnidd records are lost, destroyed, or hidden by the Seldrinar, the exact relationship of the two nations is unknown. The Supremacy denies any claims they were vassals or clients to a human kingdom at any point in their history and call it "Eldrian fake history and anti-elven propaganda."
Seldros likely became a fully independent nation in 2060s when the Castian plague decimated the human populations of the Marcian and Vadalgarian empires. The City of Seldros is listed as an enemy of the Ice Elves who failed to raid the Seldrian territory in 2113, 2e. Seldrinar history claims this raid was defeated by a young Hellas the Great, who had been appointed dictator for life by the city to protect them against the "Cruel barbarism of the northern heathern army."

Hellas the Great

Hellas the Great, the founder of the Supremacy, was likely born in Seldros Prime between 1763 and 1863, 2e. Coming from a prestigious military family, Hellas was named after Helion, the capital of the Sun Elf empire, Hellas spent his early life learning of ancient sun elf battles, generals, and the recorded history of the Elven peoples. From this work and passion for the philosphy of the Eastern Sun Elf Asceliri regarding the forms of govermnent, Hellas developed his own political theory of rulership. Named Hellastism or The Supremocracy, Hellas argued for a completely centralised state under the guidance of a single authority figure, a Supremator. The Supremator would be chosen from a ruling ethnic class, and must embody the 'Pentagram of Victory.'

1. Inteligence to know how to improve their state and people and who their enemies are and how to defeat them
2. Wisdom to appoint the most suitable candidate of their people to the highest ranks of society, not just those who support them
3. Strength to crush ones enemies keep the poor masses, who do not know of destiny, in line
4. Belief in the supremacy of their own race, creed, or people
5. Patience to acheive supremacy slowly, so the children of the future can live in its glory forever.

Hellas himself was a deeply xenophoic person with an intense hatred for thre Dwarves and Orcs, who he blamed for the downfall of the Elven empires of the first age. Hellas also destested Tieflings, claiming they were 'spawn of satan' and upon being declared Dictator by the council of Seldros in the 2080s to fend off Ice Elf raids, had all teiflings, orcs, and dwarves within Seldrinar territory exiled. Hellas also wrote a second tome just before the fall of the Marcian Empire, a History of the Southern Elves. By this point, the warlord had been declared Dictator for Life and had gained control of the entire political and military mechanism of Seldros. The History of the Southern Elves is a nationalistic rallying cry for the Seldrinar to reuinte the southern elf population, then retake Prima Terra to restore the glory of the Elven empires of the first age. Regarded by northern and eastern historians as 'pure fiction' and full of 'facistic dog whistles' the book remains a standard reading for all Seldrinar children.

Early Conquests

Seldrinar expansion began in the Dark Age period. Seldrinar history claims Hellas the Great used war and diplomacy to unite the Southern Elf people, who had become divided and lost their way. By 2200, Pelryior, Lloristel, and Maeldrin had been incorporated into the Seldrinar domain. Hellas' expansion now had three obstacles in his way. The ancient gnome kingdom of Tinkerton, the human Eaqolquen tribes of the Wingspan Canyon, and the naval city state of Talos.
The Seldrinar narrative claims these three peoples formed an alliance and attacked the Seldrinar, breaking a generous peace treaty Hellas had offered them. Given the Seldrinar reputation, it is hard to take anything they claim at face value, but the lack of other sources makes it difficult to refute. Some gnomic oral tradition does claim the Seldrinar were the ones who broke the treaty with Tinkerton, and attacked it during a holy festival. This first expansion was brutal and efficant, Tinkerton itself was completely sacked and destroyed. Talos was decimated and its walls left completely destroyed as a warning to never revolt, at least until the 40 year war when they were rebuilt to protect against Aedrinarian raids, and the Eaqolquen tribes were driven deeper into the valley with the fortress of Aiorel being built to keep them at bay.

Tippytree Campaign

Tippytree was another ancient small-folk nation in the southlands. The home of the Halfling people. Tippytree was a sacred site to all halflings throughout Prima Terra. Ruled as spiritual commune by the chuch of Yondalla, Tippytree was an agrarian and religious power that had survived thousands of years in various states. Lacking an army of its own, it relied on recruited Aedrinaran and Gwenyddian mercanaries for their protection. The war against Tippytree was a slow affair. Whilst the campaign against the Talosians, Tinkerton, and Eaqolquen peoples was completed within 2 years, it took 30 years for Tippytree to finally fall. The Seldrinar military, although well organized, professional, and brutal, was weak against the ambush tactics of the Aedrinarian and Gwenyddian soldiers hired by Tippytree. The coinpurse of the halfling nation was kept full by generous donations form wealthy elites throughout Prima Terra, largely those from Valleyhome who used their wealth from the spice trade to save their sacred city.
Realising conventional war would not suffice, Hellas began to attack lesser defended Tippytree towns such as Kanewood, Bugholme, and Tinytown. After each sacking, Hellas would catapult the heads of the Yondallan priesthood into the walls of Tippytree. This psychological edge eventually won out, and Tippytree surrendered peacefully. As reparations for the lengthy war, Hellas exiled all halflings from Tippytree for 30 years, 4 weeks, and 2 days - the exact duration of the war. He did, however, offer a reprieve on the exile for those who served in his armies for 15 years of service. In the now abandoned temple of Yondalla, Hellas was declared by his generals to be Supremator of Seldros. He would return to Seldros itself and begin to reorganise his new nation, calling it the Seldrinar Supremacy.

Serpent Coast and Goscantinople Campaigns

Hellas spent only 2 years restructing his new empire. In this time, he had more liberal elements of the Seldros elites executed under the new 'anti-patriotism' laws. In this 2 year interbellum, Hellas also put the Tinkerton gnomes to work in constructing a grand navy as he focused on the merchant powers and yuan-ti temple complexes of the Serpent Coast. The newly formed supremacy had also caught the eyes of the nearby power of Goscantinople. A Divinitist holy city rebuilt by the Vandalgarians, Goscantinople and its fellow post-rexian city of New Rexia in the Gorginidd dyansty. Both human nations feared the rise of an elven supremacist state and began to rally what resources they had to begin challenging them.
The quick expansion had also alarmed the merchant cities of the Serpent Coast, who began to cut the supremacy out of the trade routes, sailing straight for the northern ports instead. With enemies at the door and the economy at risk, Hellas had 'no choice' but to begin a long campaign against the closest advisaries. Using Yuan-Ti sacrificial raids on Seldrinar territory in the newly annexed Tippytree, Hellas declared war against the temple city of Jast, a forboding Yuan-Ti fortress on the Bay of Istrelrey. The campaign was quick, the Yuan-Ti unable to resist the organized Seldrianar army and their outdated triremes and quadremes losing to the newly forged Seldrinar cogs and galleas'.
With this foothold on the coast, Hellas looked at annexing Korlynn, one of the most important merchant republics on the Serpent Coast. A gnome and halfling citadel, taking the city would force the merchant leagues to dock in Seldrinar Ports or risk starving at sea. This campaign took longer, the Seldrinar navy unable to triumph over the Korlynn merchant defence fleet or overcome the walls of the city. The gnome town of Trask was taken, as was the nearby Yuan-Ti temple at Darmok.
During the bitter siege, Gonsatimir III of Goscantinople saw an oppertunity to attack the Seldrinar whilst they were distracted and sacked the fortress of Aioriel, and marched his army for Seldros itself. With his capital and home underthreat, Hellas resolved to a risky strategy in containing Korlynn whilst he went to fend off the Goscantinoplans. Taking unhatched eggs from Darmok and Jast, the Seldrinar sapped beneath the city and left the eggs to hatch. The army retreated and marched north. The battle at Lorelei Gate was a close battle, but the exhausted Seldrinar managed to push back the Goscantinople army, killing Gonsatmir III in the process. By this time, the Yuan-Ti eggs had hatched and sown havock throughout Korlynn, who promptly surrendered Hella and were incorporated into the new Supremacy.
Hellas now focused on dealing with Goscantinople before they could regroup or bring in additional allies from New Rexia. Hellas divided his army in two, marching a smaller force through Eagle Canyon and sending the larger force south through the Greenskull Valley. The Goscantinoplans took the bait, and marched for the smaller force in the canyon, who strategically retreated back to a rebuilt Aioriel. With the main army distracted, the Seldrinar forces stormed Rylos, the second key city within the Dragonbone Valley. This gave the Seldrinar a new foothold in the valley, and allowed for a march larger army to be assembled before marching on Goscantinople and taking down its formidable walls. The eventual siege of the holy city would last for months before a breach in the walls could be found. The last Goscantinoplan king, Rexus II was killed in battle, his body never found.
A small force led by Governor Myras, the newly appointed ruler of the Dragonbone Valley and personal aide to Hellas, was left to put down smaller scale rebellions whilst Hellas marched towards his next target: Yannos. Yannos was built as Yuan-Ti city and was still run by a yuan-ti ruling class and become a powerful merchant and pirate nation, extorting hefty tolls on vessels heading along the Serpent Sea trade route. The Yannosian elite refused to negotiate and instead flooded the plans outside their town by destroying strategic dams along the River Python. Hellas instead turned Askh-Limas, the most powerful merchant city on the Serpent Coast, by landing in the slums district and setting fire the city from there. He promised to put out the fires using his battlemages only if the city surrendered, which they eventually did. As part of the peace treaty, Hellas confiscated the Limasian navy and used the navy to invade Yannos from the sea. The temple quarter was completely destroyed with a new Seldrinar fortress being built in its place. Yannos has not recovered economically or population wise since the city's fall four thousand years ago.

Death of Hellas

With most the Dragonbone Valley and most of the serpent coast under his control, Hellas decided to finish his conquests with the invasion of the final two merchant cities of Kairomas and Dakos. Dakos fell quickly with a two pronged attack from the sea and Dragonbone valley. Kairomas put up more resitance - having spent the last decade hording resoruces preparing for the Seldrinar's eventual expansion into their territrory. Using their gold reserves, Rexian legions were recruited from the Gorginidd's to help with the defence of their city. On the fourth failed siege, Hellas was killed by a spear to the abdomen then having his head removed by a Kairomasian warrior so he could not be resurected.
Kairomas and the Gorgindd's hoped the fall of Hellas would destabilise and eventually collapse the Supremacy, but it in fact did the opposite. Myras was declared the new Supremator by the governors and generals and launched a new attack on the city, decapitating its leadership as retribution. Hellas would be immortalised throughout the new empire with statues made from melted down treasures placed in key cities in every province.

Reign of Myras

Myras held off on further expansions, fortifying the border between the supremacy and the remaining southern nations of Augermento, Valleyhome, and the Gorgindd Dynasty. Myras instead focused on new infrastructure, removing vast rainforests, daming rivers, and creating a planned economy to boost food and ore production. Myras also used Hellas' legacy as a way of boosting his own status and prestige, commisioning art to show both him and the conquerer defeating their enemies together.
Myras became a key player in the first crusader after Pope Lucius II allowed exiled or refugee nobles from Goscantinople and the Serpent coast to build new castles within the holy land of Southern Marcia. Myras invaded the new lordships in his first declared war, thus causing Lucius to call a holy crusade for the holy land. Armies from across the western region of Prima Terra marched on the holy land - with knights, nobles, and commoners forming holy armies coming from East Marcia, Tumbria, the Axian Heptarchy, and west marcian states. The crusade lasted seven years and proved to be a tougher challenge than the Seldrinar had faced before, and eventually ended with a peace dividing the land between the Supremacy and various crusader factions.
His reputation damage and army demoralised, Myras turned to the weaker southern nations of Augermento and Valleyhome. The last two smallfolk nations left in the south, their militaries were considerably weaker than the supremacies. Only Augermento put up significant resitance, using Rexian Fire to destroy part of the Seldrinar Navy. When the eastern portion of their countryside was burnt during harvest season, causing considerable food shortages, did Augermento surrender. Valleyhome put up minimal resistance. Most of the halfling towns surrendered and when Valleyhome itself was sacked and destroyed the remaining nobles, largely from the northern praries of their country, defected to the Gorgindd's. Myras, ever patient, made peace with the Gorginidd's and once again looked at consolidating his resources now his reputation had been restored.
Myras would be thrown into war again with the third and fourth crusades. In an attempt to resecure South Marcia, Myras invaded the divided crusader states. The new pope, Urban IV, made empassioned pleas to the powers of the north and west. A grand army of East Marcia, Middleaxe, Westaxe, and the Holy Tumbrian Army as well as a cohort of Gwenyddian warriors marched on the holy land and repelled the Seldrinar. A white peace was signed, and Urban reorganized the territories under a new holy order, the Knights of Gosca. A fourth crusade was launched in 2471 by John III, an offencive crusade aimed at repelling the Seldrinar for good. The Knights of Gosca, alongside the East Marcians, Alturscians, Papal States, and Eastaxe pushed the Supremacy back into the south.
Facing another loss of confidence from the Seldrinar people and elites. Facing a potential coup or civil war, Myras began a massive reorganization of the empire. Myras spent a decade reorganizing the state religion, claiming Corellon had deserted their people and embracing members of the Dark Seldarine instead, notably, Myras avoided direct worship of Lolth and isntead recognised her as a minor diety. Myras also installed high clerics who praised him and Hellas as elven demi-gods and chosen avatars of elven values. With a new zeal installed, Myras marched on the final bastion of resitance in the south, the New Rexian kingdom of the Gorgindd's. The eight year was was decisive for the Supremacy. The conquest was slow, methodical, and well calculated at every battle.
The Gorginidd's tried calling on the papacy, now under the rulership of the Rigordia family, to aide them. Pope Sanctius V drew out negotiations, by which time it was too late. New Rexia fell in 2510. The only remaining independent nation was a tiefling enclace in Noshgorod within the Devil's Peak, part of the Dorric Mountain chain and bordering the great steppes and was of little interest to the Supremacy. Myras renamed New Rexias as Myrasopolis and spent the remainder of his reign building the Seldrinar economy through forced labour and building grand palaces and monuments to his and Hellas's glory.

Third age decline and Civil War

With the coming of the third age, the Supremacy started to decling the first and second centuries as Myras squandered money on comissioning art and literature and spending little focus to a stagnating beurocracy, overstuffed military, and shrinking economy as the governor's neglected proper planning and enforced bizzare and impossible quotas. The Western and Northern nations started to catch up the Supremacy technologically as the Great Awakening spread throughout the Divinitist world. With each decade, the Supremacy was being left behind until it was considered a declining or middle power at best.
When Myras eventually died in 103, 3e, a corrupt beaurocrat named Laiel took control of the supremacy through bribery. Laiel was also a Dark Seldarine fanatacist and began wide scale persecutions of religions minorities. The High Temple of Goscantinople was turned into a temple to Vhaeraun, and the city renamed in the god's honour. The Yondalla Temple at Tippytree was burned down and holy texts from other faiths were burned in mass persecuton rallies throughout the supremacy by the Faithful Militia of Laiel. This started to stoke civil upheavel and disgruntled cries from those within the Seldrinar hierarchy. A three pronged civil war began in 178 when uprisings in New Rexia, Goscantinople, and halfling uprisings throughout Valleyhome and Tippytree as well as riots within Askh-Limas and Korlynn shook the empire. The military revolted against Laeil and entrenched themselves throughout the empire.
The civil war saw mass destruction and loss of life throughout the supremacy. The military managed to pacify the serpent coast and used it as their base of operations, chosing a general named Haphron to be their leader. In 190, the military stormed Seldros and deposed Laiel, executing her and begining a new process for appointing a supremator. Haphron had tried to put themseleves forward, but ultimately lost to Rellian, the governor of Augermento who had managed to keep his province neutral during the civil war.
Rellian tried to rebuild the empire through repartions taxes and relaxed the religious persecution in place, although much of the damage had already been done. Rellian did allow the temple of Yondalla to be rebuilt in a new location within Tippytree as its original location had been replaced by a temple dedicated to Lolth. Rellian also tried to reorganize the empire to make it more efficant, but faced significant pushback from the other governors and military elites. Rellian was assassinated in 220, 3e whilst in his palace.

Kyriel's Reforms

A new appointment of a Supremator faced significant delays as the bickering governors and military could not agree on a candidate for six months. During this time, Kyriel, Rellian's daughter, had begun to slowly expand her political control within Seldros. She was appointed Supremator and immediately moved to consolidate her power. In the Long Night, Kyriel purged the military, who she accused of assasinating her father, the governorship, and beaurocracy and in their place installed new classes of rulers from the Southern Elf population who she beleived showed more promise.
During her father's riegn Kyriel had been assigned as a diplomat within Neapia and had seen the effect the great awakening was having on the human kingdoms. With her rise to power, she saught to adapt the Awakening ideals to supremacy ideology and modernise the empire so it would not be left behind by the human kingdoms, especially the emerging power of Middleaxe. Kyriel's first major reform was to restore the Seldrinar economy. She lessened state control over resources and opened up key 'Free Trade Ports' along the coast to allow for trade with the human nations which allowed Sargonic resources back into the west. She chose Saltower, Augarmento, Kairomas, Ashk-Limas, Korlynn, and a newly constructed Hellasandria district within Seldros.
The free trade ports had special mayors, called the Dominators, and allowed trade guilds, embassies, and lessened embaragos and tariff's on goods passing through the ports. This increase in revenue saw merchant classes boom, and tax revenue increase across the provinces and thus a greater contribution to the imperial treasury. This boom trickled down throuhgout the empire as goods passed along highways to the port cities to be exported, and new goods such as Altruscian wine, Kernowian ores, and Sargonic spices flowed into the supremacy.
Her next reform was to fund a massive education programme throughout the supremacy, opening state schools for elves and half-elves throughout the empire. This was funded by the increased revenue from the free ports and allowed a new generation to be fully indoctrinated to Seldrinar ideals and history. Revisionist and propagandic messages were spread through these institutions, and universities in Seldros, Vhauraun, and Ashk-Limas were opened. Kyriel also organized a massive rebuilding of New Rexia, renaming it Rellian City in honour of her father. She began to phase out the importance of Myras and replace him with herself as the true successor to Hellas and the Sun Elves.
Some push-back came from her cousin, Castria, a general within the army who was planning another coup and accused Kyriel of distorting the Seldrinar mission. Castria was executed by Kyriel, her body dragged through all the provincial capitals as a warning to any others who saught to challenge her control. No new threats arose during Kyriel's reign, and the Supremacy slowly began to rise through the ranks of power once more as her reforms took hold across the country.
Kyriel only launched one major expansion during her reign. In 333, an invasion into Noshgorod within the Devil's Peak was launched. This was in retaltion for the tiefling's of the city paying off Steppe tribes to raid the Seldrinar frontier. The tiefling majority kingdom fell in a two year long campaign. Following Hellas' racial views, the tieflings were forced into ghettos and veterans of the war were granted lands within the city. The city remained under martial rule for a century.

Marcian Expansion

Kyriel would retire from the rank of Supremator in 418, 3e to live on her private island off the coast of Augermento. A military general named Argon took her place as Supremator and inhertied a prosperous and wealthy nation. Argon was a veteran of the Noshgorod war and had ambitions to expand the Supremacy back into Marcia and establish themselves as a true great power. Argon began to reform the military and expand their training and tactics. He also launched spy campaigns within Middleaxe, observing the emergance of the Eldrian Empire with trepidition.
Argon would start to enact his plans for conquest in the wake of the Terror in East Marcia. Seldrinar troops marched into the County of Selonny and annexed the region. In retaliation, the Eldrians installed Francis X as the new king of East Marcia and helped to refortify the other rebellious regions, stopping any further Seldrinar expansion. in 495, Francis launched a war against the Supremacy to retake Selonny as retalliation against the loss of his de jure land. Francis's actions would begin the Marcian Wars, a 55 year long set of conflicts between the two great powers of the Eldrian Empire  and Seldrinar Supremacy.
During the first phase of the conflict, the great powers largely used pawns to fight each other and their allies. East Marcia attacked the Supremacy, Irrano attacked East Marcia, Estrella attacked Iranno, Altruscia attacked Estrella. The Marcian states were largely treated as pawns during this time, with claimants and collaborators being used to constantly flip state's allegiances and declare new wars or split into new nations. The Papacy was drawn into the conflict, with Pope Innocent IV calling the Last Crusade was launched against the Seldrinar with paladin orders and independent nobles from Tumbria rallying to East Marcia to help fight the Seldrinar.
The indirect war drew on, with the Seldrinar and their allies gaining control over most of Aquitaine and parts of Cheval. In 522, the direct war period began as the Eldrians formally entered the war to battle the Seldrinar. Momentum shifted away from the Seldrinar as the Eldrian army, fresh and well trained, pushed the Seldrinar further back. The Eldrians also brought allies from the Vale of the Moon Elves and Kingdoms of Theyadin and Greyhelm. The only place the Seldrinar kept momentum was using their proxies in West Marcia who hasstled the Eldrian supporting states and the Eldrian heartlands as well as providing armies to help attack Eldrian battallions in East Marcia.
By 548, the Seldrinar had lost significant territory but had managed to entrench themselves whilst the Eldrian alliance was unable to push any further due to the involvement of supremacy pawns in West Marcia. Things would change for the Seldrinar and ultimately cost them the war thanks to the scheming of Pope Innocent IV and the entrance of the wood elves to the war. The Wood elves provided enough new manpower and skill to push the Seldrinar back once more, whilst Innocent IV organized a peace conference with the help of the King of Kernow in Saunton between the West Marcian states. In exchange for turning on the Seldrinar, the pawn states were offered a white peace and gold. All party's accepted, and a new unified west marcian army routed the Seldrinar in Aquitaine and began to launch attacks on the province of Seldros Major.
With Seldros Prime itself threatened, Argon negotiated with the West Marcian nations in the treaty of Falzeno, which saw the Seldrinar forced to pay massive reparations for a hundred years but saw the West Marcians pull of the war alltogther. Argon had hoped this would by the Supremacy enough time to fend off the Eldrians, but the massive manpower loss and forced recuruitment of inexperienced conscripts was costing the supremacy more lives and land everyday. The Supremacy agreed a peace in principle and met with the Eldrians, Moon Elves, Wood Elves, and East Marcians in Rassendorf where they agreed to withdraw all their troops from the Marcian region.

Eldrian Hegemony Period

The Supremacy had suffered massively during the Marcian Wars. Most of their armed forced had been depleted and their trade routes with the marcian kingdoms were broken. The empire's economy shrunk and massive state programmes around art and culture dried up as the Supremacy licked its wounds. Argon moved away from traditional warfare but did reorganize his spy network, an agency known as the Black Suns. He implanted agents throughout Marcia, and slowly saw trade routes reopen and by the 600s had more sympathetic leaders installed in several key cities and kingdoms. In the 628, Argon tacitly supported and supplied the Duke of Aquitaine in his independence war against East Marcia and the duchy remained a proxy extension of his empire. The duchy would be reabsorbed by 804, but the supremacy did not get involved.
Argon died in 730, somehow not deposed. He was replaced as Supremator by Lyrion, the head of the black suns. Lyrion continued to help rebuild the empire and used the Black Suns as a secret police throughout the Supremacy to put down potential revolts. Lyrion also expanded religous worship of the Dark Seldarine. Abroad, Lyrion secretly supported and gave supplies to Ludwin von Ludwin, a usurper to the Eldrian throne, during the War of the Uncles between 799 and 819. When the war ended, Seldrinar Spies and assets continued to suppor the Ludwin Pretender, Eggbert, during his small skirmishes throughout tumbria during the 820s.
Lyrion's mains has been to wait for the Eldrians to collapse and capitalise at a moment of weakness. A single elf could outlive most human empires, so all they had to do was be patient. Lyrion continued to expand military recruitment and development of the navy and industrial machinery. The Supremacy remained uninvolved in the 10th century crises throughout the Eldrian Empire, but instead began to further ready their army for war with intense raids in the Great Steppes and Dorric Mountains.
When the Eldrian Civil war began in 995, the supremacy began to involve itself more with Marcian politics and states. Small skirmishes were launched on the border between the Supremacy and the Knights of Gosca, and the Supremacy diplomatically supported the restoration of an independent duchy of Aquitaine. The Eldrian civil war also saw smaller Marcian states such as Estrella and Vulcania turn to the Supremacy for trade and resources, further expanding their influence within Marcia. The Supremacy had also monopolised all trade with the Sargonic kingdoms, economically tying the eastern human nations to the Supremacy itself.

40 Year War

With the Eldrians severely weakened by decades of colonial revolts and their civil war - Lyrion seems to have had enough of waiting and launched an invasion of Marcia, begining the40 Year War. They called in all their allies - Cyrene, Al-Dun, Al-Shammar, Ashad, Estrella, and Vulcania. The Supremacy's first targets were the Knights of Gosca and East Marcia. The invasion of East Marcia dragged the Empire into war with their allies of East Marcia, Southaxe, The Papacy, Knights of Gosca, and Altruscia.
The Marcian phase of the war lasted for twenty years. Gosca fell quickly to the Supremacy, the knights being completely destroyed and officially disbanded after their final castle fell by Pope Angelo IV. The Supremacy also used theri assets within Aquitaine to quickly storm across the duchy and start a process of official annexation. Sellony was again invaded, and across a decade the Supremacy had pushed the Eldrian alliance back to Cheval and started attacking Halshrie and Southaxe from across the River Axe. The supremacy also managed to secure much of Northern Altruscia through their proxy of Estrella and the key pot city of Carello, but were held back by the Alturscians and Papacy and were repelled from Falzeno with the arrival of a mercanary steppe warband.
The Marcian campaign had drawn to a stalemate by 1025. Resources such as steel and food began to run out for all sides and a new push was needed by one of the factions. The Supremacy, hoping to capitalise on fresh resources and outflank the Eldrians, launched a massive invasion of The Commonwealth in 1025. The Eldrians responded by also invading the Commonwealth.
The invasion of the Commonwealth changed the dynamics of the war as the Eldrian Allies of Southaxe and Altruscia turned against the empire to defend The Commonwealth, and the Aedrinarians, Jotun and Asrinheim all entered the war to fight both the Eldrians and Supremacy. The main focus of the war shifted to the Commonwealth from both sides. Smaller skirmishes continued in East Marcia as the East Marcians managed to push the Seldrinar out of the Duchy of Cheval entirely. The Supremacy kept control of Carello and invaded the port city of Sieanna, but otherwise left Altruscia alone as they were no longer recieving Eldrian aide.
By 1028, the Supremacy controlled nearly all of Cape County bar the town of Ynnsmouth which had been razed by the Eldrian empire and County Carely, which had withstood invasion. They had even captured the capital of Saunton and killed the royal family and one of the Heros of the Commonwealth, Rusty the Kobold. Access to The Commonwealth's ore mines and plentiful granaries prolonged their war capability, and the Supremacy also began persecuting the orcish, dwarvish, and tiefling population.
The Supremacy had reached another stalemate, but narrowly had the upper hand as the Eldrians were facing more resistance from within The Commonwealth and were being attacked by Southaxe to their south. The supremacy was also now facing constant raids from Ice Elves and Aedrinarians, with a suicidal assault on Talos burning the entire town to the ground even if the Aedrinarians died with it. The Navy had been crippled by the Surviving Commonwealth fleet, gathered by Admiral O'Galloigh and the Southaxian navy as well as Aedrinarian attacks and skirmishes.
Momentum swiftly turned against the Supremacy in 1031 when the Dragon Empire entered the war. The Dragon Empire, from the distant continent of Zhoson, had actually begun arriving in Cyrene and Al-Dun 4 years prior and began a plan to aide the Sargonic kingdoms break free from Supremacy dependency. The Dragon Empire joined the Commonwealth faction through secret negotations done via Sargonic proxies and launched two major campaigns against the Supremacy. First, a grand fleet devestated the Southern fleet of the Supremacy with Sargonic and Dragon forces landing in Augermento, Ashk-Limas, and Dakos. Second, an auxillery fleet sailed to Lastlight and gave the Commonwealth faction the troops and ships they needed to launch a liberation campaign in Cape County. In 1032, the Battle of the Northern Shore began and saw massive Seldrinar Losses as their armies were picked off by ambush tactics from the Ice Elves, Aedrinarians, and the legendary Black Dragon of the Northern Shore.
The tide also turned against them in Altruscia, as troops were taken from Sieanna and Carello to reinforce positions in the Supremacy heartlands and Commonwealth. Altruscia, with the aide of Southaxe, retook the port cities and cost the Supremacy their naval foothold on the Gulf of Marcia. More loses were taken within the supremacy itself as the Serpent Coast was continously pillaged by Ice Elf raiders. Seldros Prime was also attacked, with several districts completely destroyed by a mysterious Ice Elf and Aedrinarian fleet from Morganhall.
The Supremacy sued for peace in 1042 when the resort town of Sanctuary when a dragon army landed on the island of Sanctuary, 12 miles from the capital. The peace was kind to the Seldrinar considering their role in the war. They kept their taken lands in East and South Marcia, incorporating them into the empire fully. They did however have to pay hefty reparations to the Commonwealth and Altruscia.

The Future

Supremator Lyrion, now in his final century of life, remains in control. The Supremacy is now at its fullest extent and has finally gained its early aspirations for taking Marcian land. The Supremacy does remain on a knife edge, however, as the hefty deathtoll of the ruling Southern Elf classes during the war has seen their capacity to rule streched massively. Growing rebellion has started within the Dragonbone Valley as the White Mask movement disrupts Seldrianr logistics and military capacity. The economy is also facing a severe downturn as dependence on The Commonwealth and Dragon Empire grows from traditional trade allies.
The Supremacy has kept their borders closed, but rumours persist of their continued meddling in East Marcia and persecution of former Goscan knights in the holy land as well as the desecreation of Divinitst holy sites. Lyrion has opened up discussion for more autonomous provinces, a reform to a less centralised state has begun. There are also rumours of calls from within the Supremacy for a relaxing of Elf-Only laws around governorship and military officers. Since 1050, the Supremacy has also become more involved in establishing trade outposts on the Serpent Isles and expanding trade to the Ombosan nations.

Demography and Population

The Supremacy is a multinational state composed of Southern Elves, South Halflings, Dragonbone Tribes, Goscantians, Rellians (New Rexians), Noshgorodans, South Marcians, East Marcians, and Gnomes. The Southern Elves, despite being the ruling class, are the minority population numbering only a few thousand whilst the human and halfling populations make up around 87% of the population combined.
Since the 40 year war, the demography skews towards a younger population as most people of fighting age died. Around a third of the supremacy's popuation was killed in the war, and the population appears to be continuing to decline. Despite this, the population of the country is still in the millions and houses some of the continents largest cities in Seldros Prime and Askh-Limas.
The empire heavily persecutes Orcs, Half-Orcs, and Dwarves who are forced into work-camps or ghettos. Tieflings face similar persecution and have been forced to live in slum communities within Noshgorod.

Territories

The supremacy is divided into nine governorships across the southern and marcian regions of Prima Terra. Amongst the largest nations in Prima Terra, the Supremacy grants some autonomy to its regions, a neccesity due to the size of the empire, but holds most of the control within the central state of Seldros Major. Although most of the regions outside of Seldros Major are majority halfling, human, or gnome, the southern elf minority occupies all leadership and government roles within the regions.

State	Capital	Majority Population
Seldros Major	Seldros Prime	Southern Elf
Tippytree	Tippytree	Halfling
Serpent Coast	Ashk-Limas	Human
Dragonbone Valley	Vhaeraun	Gnome
Augerhelm	Augarmento	Human
Valleyhome	Arrowfall	Gnome
Devil's Peak	Noshgorod	Tiefling
Vandalia	Rellian City	Human
Aquataine	Aquitaine	Human
South Marcia	Palentia	Human

Geography

The Supremacy's size has given it a diverse geography composed of numerous biomes. The primary biome is the vast grassland savannahs across the western coastland region before the Dragonspines and the eastern interior of the Yondallan Sea. The Southern coast is split between tropical rainforest and dry rainforest environments with heavy rainfall across the coast in the monsoon season. The Dragonspine Mountains in the heart of the empire are montane forests that give way to canyons leading to the Dragonbone valley, a vast arid desert with limited plant growth along the banks of the Rio Rossi. In the newly assimilated lands of South Marcia and Aquitaine, a more mediterranean environment can be found.

Military

The Seldrinar Military is a unified volunteer led army with ethnic restrictions on the officer and general classes. In times of war, others, mainly humans, halflings, and gnomes, are conscripted from across the empire to fill frontline and logistical roles for the military. The military itself has four branches; Logistics, Cavalry, Arcane, and Infantry, Within those classes there is a split between non-commissioned and officer classes. Officers must always be Elves or Half-Elves. Prior to the military reforms of Argon, the officers had to be of Southern Elf descent only.
Despite its loses in the 40 year war, the Seldrinar Military is still amongst the largest in the world. Outnumbering the Eldrians by 2:1 and on paper, seemingly capable of easily sweeping across any of their neighbours army. In practice, the war saw most of the experienced and talented soldiers killed in action and the army is more of a paper tiger in its current form.
The Navy has also been heavily damaged following the war. Post War work decrees have ordered for massive forestry drives to rebuild destroyed ships with reliance on magically induced growing of woodlands.

Religion

The Supremacy is officially worshipping the Dark Seldarine, the Elven Gods who turned against Corellon. In practice, this worship is restricted to the Southern Elves and half elves only. Open worship of other religons is limited, with Divinitism officially outlawed since the 40 year war. The non-elven poulation worships a mix-and-match pantheon of various Divinitist saints such as Barnaby, Tara, Vitus, and Paladia as well as the gnomic and halfling gods of Yondalla and Garl Glittergold.

Education

The Seldrinar Supremacy has a 100% literacy rate amongst the Elven population of the empire. State education is mandatory for all elves until 95. History, Literature, Philosophy, Mathematics, and Arcana are all taught as mandatory subjects throughout the state education system. The Office of Education is amongst one of the most prestigious institutions in the Supremacy, with massive archieves and rooms for study and research.
The non-elven population has lower education levels, as they are dependent on private institutions set up by philantropists or wealthy free-trade city merchant families. Non-Elves are forbidden from higher education within all provinces except Aquitaine, where the University of Palatinate continues to operate for non-elves, but being forced to exclude Dwarves, Orcs, Half-Orcs, and Tieflings.
The two other major university institutions in Ashk-Limas and Seldros Prime teach a variety of subjects including some bardic traditions. From these institutions, the Seldrinar elite is recruited so not all southern elves have traditionally gone to university. The loss of life in the war has seen class barriers lessen and more Southern Elves and half-elves are moving up the ranks of the empire.

Strength. Victory. Supremacy.

Seldrinar Supremacy (red) on the continent of Prima Terra

Founding Date

2243, 2e

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Capital

Seldros Prime

Demonym

Seldrinar

Government System

Despotism

Power Structure

Federation

Economic System

Command/Planned economy

Legislative Body

Council of Governors

Executive Body

The Supremator

Official State Religion

Dark Seldarine

Neighboring Nations

• Altruscia
• Cyrene
• East Marcia
• Iranno

Preceded by

• Technocracy of Tippytree
• Talos
• Seldros
• Pelryior League
• Jast
• Republic of Korlynn
• Askh-Limas
• Yannos
• Tippytree
• Kairomas
• Yuan-Ti Coalition
• Dragonbone Valley Tribes (Various)
• Kingdom of Goscantinople
• Dakos
• Principality of Vaxxidine
• Augermento Collective
• Kingdom of Valleyhome
• Gorgindd Dynasty
• Knights of Gosca
• Duchy of Noshgorod