Old Cheliax

Once one of the greatest human empires in Avistan, Cheliax has declined significantly in power and influence over the past century. When the god Aroden died, Cheliax collapsed into social upheaval and, shortly thereafter, civil war. Seeing an opportunity to seize power from chaos, House Thrune, which had long practiced the dark arts of diabolism in secret, entered into an open pact with the powers of Hell. Backed by legions of devils, the house’s own fearsome armies, and the support of shadowcallers from the neighboring land of Nidal, House Thrune stamped out its enemies and claimed the Chelish throne. Following its victory, House Thrune ushered in sweeping changes, reshaping Cheliax into an infernal empire. Today in Cheliax, the official histories are little more than state-sanctioned propaganda, the government runs a merciless and labyrinthine bureaucracy devoted to elevating the ruthless and crushing the weak, and the once-white roses of Egorian now blossom in fields of luxurious, velvety black blossoms.   Yet, for all its insistence on discipline and authority, House Thrune’s rule has not gone unchallenged. The city of Westcrown, in particular, has long been home to subdued dissent and underworld corruption, which came to a head when the Council of Thieves was unmasked and broken roughly a decade ago. Even more recently, two major rebellions—one successful, the other not—dramatically reshaped the balance of power and weakened House Thrune’s grip on the region. Nevertheless, infernal Cheliax remains an immensely wealthy, influential, and well-armed nation, and House Thrune’s rule continues to guide not only its own land, but also the fates of nations beyond its borders. Isger, Nidal, and newly independent Ravounel all bear particularly tight and intricate ties with the devils’ empire.   Devastated by years of bitter warfare following centuries of exploitative, near-colonial rule, Isger remains a subordinate thrall to Cheliax. Its government is kept on a short leash and granted little agency to chart its own course. Out in the hinterlands, however, far from House Thrune’s watchful eye, some Isgeri towns are developing their own unlikely alliances to survive.   The shadowy nation of Nidal also counts itself an ally to Cheliax, but its position is nearly opposite Isger’s. Steeped in millennia of sinister magic and the cruel religion of Zon-Kuthon, Nidal does not consider itself a vassal, but rather a close and valued advisor to a like-minded friend who could, perhaps, benefit from a little coaxing to become even crueler.   Ravounel, by contrast, broke away from Cheliax several years ago and declared itself an independent nation. Yet even after being formally recognized as a free state, Ravounel has found that it cannot fully escape its former ruler’s influence. Cheliax holds Ravounel pinned against the sea, and the old empire’s economic and diplomatic domination of the region is so complete that despite having supernatural protection against direct military incursion, Ravounel must remain in Cheliax’s good graces to survive. For now, House Thrune seems inclined to accept its former archduchy’s independence as an unfortunate but unchallenged fact, and it has dealt fairly with Ravounel. Yet as many on both sides are well aware, a devil’s mercy is fickle, and its memory long. Should a few delicate circumstances change, Ravounel’s sudden independence might just as suddenly be reversed.