The Zealian Empire

"As great as its power was, Zeal's impact on the lives of its citizens was even greater. The camaraderie between the different sentient races... the embrace of Zealomancy. It was truly the greatest society to ever exist, and everyday I loathe the fact that I missed my chance to destroy it. The ironic part though, is that I can't feel emotions!" - The Heartless, Modern-day

The Zealian empire was a great culture created in antiquity that inhabited the area in and around the continent of Amgine. It was objectively the most technologically, philosophically, magically, and economically advanced civilization to ever exist in the history of Zealor.

History

The founding principle of the Zealian Empire was to create a place where the different sentient species could live in harmony. No discrimination against a particular race would occur. They would all be Zealians. In the early years of antiquity, the empire of Zeal was founded by a group of seven Zealomancers (people who practice Zealomancy), one from each sentient race. The human Zealomancer would end up having a son who would go on to become the original Passionate Soul. The seven each brought the different aspects of their societies to combine into Zeal. For example, while the humans had the lowest physical natural prowess, they are characterized as the race that had the highest amount of natural willpower and drive. This is why many leaders in Zealian society were human. Zeal was founded shortly after this coalition between the races was born. Through her love of another, a powerful Zealomancer transformed the arid landscape of the central Mesa of Amgine into a thriving oasis which would later become the metropolis of Senturica. Canals would then be built throughout the desert to connect different Zealian settlements. For a more detailed account of this developmental era in Zeal's history, check out the history of Amgine: The Lost Continent. After a battle with the three gods and Darkest Zeal, the Zealian empire had lost their leader, the Passionate Soul. With this, the world descended into the 1000 year storm, and the races all went their own ways, vowing to never converge again. While Zeal's reign may have been short-lived in the grand scheme of things, the advancements it made were all but forgotten.

Innovation

The city of Senturica was a hotbed for innovation and technological advancements at the peak of its glory. Zealomancy was an integrated part of the everyday lives of Zealians, and the same could be said about the technolog being built. Senturica was the birthplace of advancements such as:

Non-magical aviation
Zealomancy-infused architecture
Locomotion
Advanced steampunk technology.

Additionally, the development of technology and magic was generally blurred under the broad spectrum of innovation. As such, technological advancements were usually made in a similar fashion to arcane advancements. A place where this combination flourished was at the Academy of Heart and Mind in eastern Senturica. The most important arcane advancement to come out of Zeal during this time was Dragonglass weapons. These weapons hold such great power and importance that nearly everyone in Zealian society possessed some sort of object made of dragonglass. They became an integral part of Zealian society that has still persisted to modern-day Zealor. Today, dragonglass weapons are used less prevalently than in Antiquity, but are still by far the most powerful form of magical weaponry.

by Pixabay.com

Above: Zealian trains (known casually as glass cannons) were trains who infused steampunk technology with the power of dragonglass to create an explosively fast form of locomotion) One important dragonglass creation was dubbed "Rainbow Mail". Forged out of rainbow dragonglass, each member of the elite group of Zealomancers known as the Order of Chaos received a full armour set made of rainbow dragonglass as a hospitality gift. These armor sets were taken into battle and were a source of pride for any who wore them.

Faith

In the general, the citizens of Zeal were quite indifferent to concepts of faith. They felt that Zealor was theirs to shape any way they say fit, and that they should believe in themselves rather than "fictional gods". However, after the triangle conflict it became clear to most citizens of Zeal that gods not only existed, but retroactively attempted to destroy their society. This led a hysterical few to hatch a plot to free Thalian, the god of knowledge, from his prison in Senturica. This group was actually under the influence of Thalian's power, and later committed suicide after their perfect society was disbanded. While they were unable to free Thalian, they did play a key role in helping the Heartless attack Senturica during Darkest Zeal.

Culture

As stated in the quote above, the culture of Zeal was an amazingly interconnected and welcoming melting-pot of people from all different backgrounds. While each individual in a community retained some of the traditions of their old race, most felt they were Zealian rather than part of their own race. This led to increased camaraderie between the races as they all viewed each other as of the same heritage. Another cornerstone of Zealian culture was Zealomancy. While the practice is now a rare yet valuable skill in modern-day Zealor, the antiquity of Zeal was a golden age for Zealomancy. It was a rite of passage in Zealian society for children to learn to use Zealomancy. This led to an education system structured around controlling, mastering, and utilizing Zealomancy in the real world. This led to very few people being considered "failures" by society as most children were properly educated and supported throughout their lives. This is also the reason why no slums exist in all of Senturica.

Zealomancy Chart by Jatin G

Above: The standard chart of Zealomancy taught in Zealian schools. Despite what was stated above, one race deviated from the ways of the rest. The dragons who called Amgine home long before Zeal largely kept to themselves. While some lived in Senturica and other Zealian settlements, most of the dragons occupied their ancestral home of the cerebral highlands. This meant that the dragons didn't acculturate to the melting pot of Zeal as much as the other races. It is also imperative to mention that dragons generally occupied a special place in Zealian society. As they had access to most of the reserves of aptly named dragonglass, they were almost seen as a master race. A race that enlightened the others to the ways they had been following for thousands of years. For the most part, the philosophy behind the Zealian way of life was that mastering the mind could help you live a fulfilling and wonderous life. And by the way Zeal turned out, its likely this had some merit to it.

Economy

Citizens of Zeal were generally considered to have a wealth of "will, heart, and knowledge". Even so, it would be an understatement to say they had an abundance of material wealth as well. The economy of Zeal thrived off of its desert canals, allowing for large shipping vessels to travel through the desert and conduct commerce in the ports of inland cities. This combined with a virtual monopoly over dragonglass gear led to the Zealian empire becoming one of the wealthiest civilizations in the history of Zealor. The most impressive part about this achievement is that they are the only culture with this moniker to not utilize underhanded methods. All other members of this proverbial culture club have used some sort of unethical behavior to obtain their wealth. Whether it be the raid and persecution of another species, animal/person trafficking, or a thriving underground trade for dangerous substances and weapons, Zeal's lack of this behavior is an even greater testament to the virtue of its citizens.