Second Ashen Empire

The Second Ashen Empire, commonly known as the Phoenix Empire when referring to its actions in the 10th and 11th centuries, was a major empire that dominated Northern Ashon from the mid 10th century to the early 16th century. Though framed as a direct successor to the First Ashen Empire, it bore little relation to said predecessor aside from holding a portion of the same territory. The Empire was born of an equal union between Brettland and Aesis, but power continually shifted towards Aesis over the decades, relegating Brettin royals and heirs to little more than figureheads until the Imperial Reformation. The invasion of Dunbein in the early 8th century nearly doubled the size of the empire, and Dunic citizens would play key roles in many of the empire's most important events of the 11th century. Due to the prominence of these three territories, the Empire was occasionally known as the Three Kingdoms. Though initially bound by the same restrictions commonly placed upon other Ashen monarchs, successive generations of emperors enjoyed increasingly powerful authority over the nation, which grew to become one of the most centralized, and tyrannical, governments of the pre-industrial age. The military benefited as well, becoming the strongest standing army on the continent, with its continued existence justified by often racist propaganda and false flag attacks implicating weaker neighbors. The state also often employed shadowy operatives to act as the eyes, ears, and, if needed, blades, of their rulers. The ideology of the early Phoenix Empire thus shared many attributes with fascism, with some even dubbing it proto-fascist, becoming an early predecessor to 20th-century groups like the Ireitzer First Pillar movement and the Vrustiani National Army. This perpetual increase of military strength eventually outgrew even the monarchy's authority and came to a head in the late 11th century when a cabal of military officers led by Lord High Constable Cyneric Raff secretly murdered Emperor Marcus Insteius Abito. Raff proceeded to take the Emperor's place, avoiding public events and using illusion spells and body doubles to maintain the fantasy of continued Imperial rule. He enacted a policy of aggressive expansion, beginning the Phoenix Wars with successful invasions of Emralia, the Highland Kingdoms, and Clan Falethanil. Raff's facade continued until the twilight of the 11th century when he was imprisoned and later executed by a group of rebels. Included in this group was the young heir to the Brettin throne, William Adalwin, who took control of the Empire and initiated the Imperial Reformation, returning the Phoenix Empire to the rules and regulations of constitutional monarchy and drastically reducing the size of the military. He ruled for several years with the guidance of his loyal council, including former Imperial General Octavian Ardalle and Archsentinel Cehdir Kobak of House Farkas. William's older brother, Cecil the Blind, also initially held a position on the council, but had little interest in government and was dismissed by William at his own request. Though successful in their overthrow of Raff, the new government struggled with the continued machinations of the former tyrant's cabal, and much of the military had to be purged due to suspected loyalties toward him. Another issue was the growing divide between Brettin and Aesin citizens and officials, which even led to minor clashes between town militias near the border of the two states. Racism, especially against Elves and Mitru, continued despite the king's efforts, and he gained a reputation for meekness among supporters and cowardice among adversaries. Further exacerbating all of these issues was a common distrust of magic in Aesis and Brettland, but a general respect for it in Dunbein, leading to rising Dunic separatism that threatened to split the three kingdoms. William struggled to maintain Aesin and Brettin support during these years, being seen by many as a Dunic king despite his Brettin blood, and eventually decided to step down and allow the council to elect a new leader. However, Ardalle and Kobak convinced him to remain in power for a few more months so that they could make one final attempt at destroying the military conspiracy. They recruited former Imperial Agent Leowine Letten, who had personally betrayed them while working directly for Raff as a spy, promising him a pardon from his life sentence in exchange for help hunting down Raff's co-conspirators. Cecil the Blind joined them, and together the team set to work dismantling the cabal. The group discovered that several officers and noblemen had been arming town militias to instigate conflict, and helped put a stop to it while systematically dismantling the conspiracy. They also noted that the traitors effectively wielded the Brettin and Aesin peoples’ suspicions regarding magic to turn them against William, who’s brother was a powerful mage. The conspirators themselves, however, were happy to use magic if it suited their needs. William’s team was eventually successful in their quest, capturing the leader of the plot just as she desperately attempted to assassinate William using magic, who had taken to the stage moments beforehand to make an announcement regarding the future of his rule. The attacker had injured several bystanders with her magic, and after observing the crowd’s shock, William, in a spur-of-the-moment decision, boldly decried his opponents as hypocrites, using the opportunity to prove that, despite their claims, the conspirators had no qualms about using magic or hurting the innocent, and only cared about advancing their own goals. Most of the crowd quickly turned to William’s side after the theatrical display, and the conspiracy’s public support dissolved. With Raff's supporters now scattered, Aesin and Brettin approval rising rapidly, and a potential civil war averted, William felt confident enough to continue his rule. The reformed Empire remained stable under his tutelage for nearly a century and would continue to find success under his daughter. The Second Ashen Empire (which gradually supplanted "Phoenix Empire" as the Empire's popular moniker) continued to exist until the early 16th century when it finally collapsed. A Third Ashen Empire would emerge as a successor state in the mid-18th century. The Third Empire was a minor player in the colonization of Asmana and the Ironclad Conflict in the late 18th century but eventually collapsed again after being invaded by the Floriemondian Empire during the Sanguinary Wars. A hypothetical Ashen Republic was proposed after the Great War, and while it never materialized, the Ashen Union of the late 20th century was seen as the spiritual successor to this idea.