The Credtara Empire

With the fall of the Dragon Kings, various cities and regions attempted to fill the somewhat large, if not scaly power vacuum that remained. Within 80 years, three new powers had emerged vying for control of the former draconic territory.
To the north was the House of Flay, a loose alliance of cities, nobles, and landholders gathered under the banner of the Merchant Family Flay. To the East, the coastal region of Sierborn had reverted back to a more tribal structure unified by their interconnected bloodline above all else. The bulk of the Andolas Valley coalesed into an alliance of cities and regions at first protected by and then ruled over by the House of Credtara.
Situated in the most fertile portion of the Valley with House Flay to the north, and Sierborn to the east, the Credtara family first set to organizing defenses to protect the allied cities from incursion from their neighbors on both sides, and grew to become a dominant power of the region. This was made possible largly by their close alliance with the Church of Saladron and later, more formally, with Knights of Saladron. With the combined backing of the Church and the Knights, the Credtara faimly was able to simply anex smaller unprotected territories under their protective wings. At the end of the third age, the current head of the family, Vongarth Credtara declared himself Emperor of the territory that consisted of the Andolas Valley and established a new calendar with his reign as the starting point. Year 1 saw the beinning of what would later become known as the fourth age.
The Emperor worked closely with the chruch to establish a code of law, a economic plan and a standing army to assist with the ever growing boarders. This antagonized the House of Flay who also began fortifying their border and hampered trade between the two countries. The Sierborn held nothing of value to the Empire, but the tribesman of the eastern shore saw many items of value to be had further inland and would often send raiding parties over the Eastern Slopes to pillage and loot what could be had. Garrisions and forts were established at the eastern edge of the Slopes to deter this behavior with mixed success. This was endorsed by the chruch and supported with the Knights from the outset, and the Knights of Saldaron have been a part of the expansion of the empire ever since.
The first major upheaval came in the year 146. The wizard Tomblin established the first school for magic outside the sleepy town of Owl Oar. While no official laws existed against the practice of magic, the Knights of Saladron felt that any use of extra ordinary power that did not come from the roots of faith were heritical. Himsome II sat on the throne and found the rapidly expanding power of the church worrisome. The pathway for expansion of the faith of Saladron was being paved by the presence of the Knights in most major frontiers. He took a keen interest in the work Tomblin was doing and the school in particular, envisioning a potential ally to counter the power of Church.
The Church of Saladron responded to this interest by calling the Council of Wanego (4A 152). There the regional bishops met in closed chambers with The Anointed, and produced the Churches first official stance on Magic and magic users as being antithetical to the will and work of Saladron. Emmisaries left the council and delivered the Council of Wangeo’s findings to the Emperor. Himsome II saw this move as further confirmation that his suspicions of the chruch were justified. He immediately decreed that the practice of magic was legal so long as it was not used in the commital of any crime.
He then tasked Tomblin with the duty of regulating magical training within the empire.  Thus began the Cold War between the practitioners of Magic and the Church of Saladron.

Type

Geopolitical, Empire