Chaos Empire Information Topics:
Description:
The Chaos Empire is the largest nation of Durleh. Though not entirely evil, there are no prominent good sects of Chaos people. Once, only temples of Xi’an the Elder flourished in the Empire. Now, evil deities are openly worshipped throughout the lands, and unholy rituals are commonplace, accepted practice. The Chaos Empire is viewed as evil and wicked by every goodly-aligned nation of Durleh.
Throughout the history of Durleh, no other country has ever grown to dominate so much of the continent. Even now, in its decline, the heartland of the Empire still encompasses a vast realm unsurpassed in its scope by any other nation of Durleh. At the pinnacle of its power, during the height of its two-hundred-year renaissance era, the Chaos Empire extended its influence throughout the continent. Indeed, the number of Durleh's countries under their control vastly exceeded those which had escaped imperial grasp.
The Chaos Empire did not rise to such glory and power easily. Led by their divine emperor, Xi’an, the Empire embarked upon the Ruzaad Julus, its Righteous Jihad. This unholy undertaking became known as the Dark Wars by virtually all of the other nations of Durleh. It was Xi’an's intention to subjugate all of Durleh under his empire, and instate the Chaos people as the supreme race of the continent.
With the thirteen territories of his Chaos Empire fully established, Xi’an already possessed tremendous resources. But it was his flying airships which brought his Religious Jihad its great success. The massive ships built and painted to resemble griffins, were armored, outfitted with many siege weapons, and heavily laden with casks of oil and other highly flammable substances. The airships easily flew over enemy cities and encampments, in almost complete safety, and unleashed wave after wave of devastating aerial bombardments.
Populace:
There are scholars who believe that the Chaos race is not entirely human. There is no exact historical account of the origination of the Chaos people, though most scholars agree that they stemmed from Xi’an himself. There are three distinct races of Cyanosis: the Chaynir, the Geaughee, and the Yhon' rho. The different races of Cyanosis cannot interbreed. They can, however, procreate with nearly every known race of humans.
There are millions of humans in the Empire today who call themselves Cyanosis, but not many pure Cyanosis. Before Xi’an founded his empire, there were thousands of human clans living in the northern lands. Sometime during Xi’an's rise to power and his forming the Chaos Empire, these humans came to follow the Elder.
The common people of the Empire are actually offspring of Cyanosis and mixed human races. The farther removed from their Chaos ancestry, the less the physical resemblance to the pure Chaos strain. Regardless, nearly all the people of the Empire claim allegience to one of the great houses.
Culture:
It is Xi’an's doctrine of Chaos philosophy which dictates that only the most worthy will prevail. When the Chaos Empire was at its peak, absolute service to Xi’an was the foremost obligation of all Cyanosis. Today, Cyanosis has become a treacherous people primarily interested in furthering only their own goals.
Cyanosis believes that they are the supreme race destined to rule the world. Though other races are useful and sometimes necessary, they are inferior to the Chaos people. However, Cyanosis are not an extremely prolific race. To combat this dilemma, Chaos males began mating with human women to produce mixed offspring. Though these posterity would not be true Cyanosis, better to have some Chaos blood than none at all.
Under these beliefs, it became accepted practice for male Cyanosis to have human mistresses. The wife must always be Chaos, and she is the honored matriarch of a Chaos house. Children born to mistresses are treated nearly as well as pure Cyanosis, but the fact remains that they are not true Cyanosis.
Government:
Xi’an De Chaos is the emperor of the Chaos Empire. More commonly known as Xi’an the Elder, he is not a mortal man, but a being of divine power. When Xi’an began to design his Chaos Empire, he brought into his confidence his five most loyal and powerful minions. These five became the Dragons of the Emperor, mighty sorcerers who would help Xi’an to bring all of the northern lands of Durleh under his control. Later, the five dragons would each form a guild of magicians:
•The Order of the Golden Dragon.
•The Order of the Obsidian Dragon.
•The Order of the Marble Dragon.
•The Order of the Crimson Dragon.
•The Order of the Emerald Dragon.
Once Xi’an controlled the north land, he divided the realm into thirteen territories. Each of the five dragons was given territories to oversee. He then allowed the most faithful of his clergy, his sceptres, and the most powerful sorcerers of the Orders of the Dragons, the mazkars and the arcanists, to organize large, dynastic houses to rule the territories. Xi’an once personally governed his Chaos Empire, but disappeared at the height of the Chaos Renaissance. In his stead, the five dragons continue to rule the Empire.
The Dragons of the Emperor are the most enigmatic group connected with the governing of the Empire. Each has jurisdiction over two or more territories. Within each territory, there are a number of great houses. Though these houses govern the territory, they must ultimately answer to the dragon who rules the territory. After the Dark Wars, when the number of territories grew to fifteen, each of the Dragons held three territories. The District of Calthayes was to be the sixteenth territory, but was not fully assimilated before Xi’an's disappearance. With the loss of Marankarian and Granite Helm, the Dragons retain only their motherland territories.
•The Golden Dragon controls the Grenn, Tormyrn,
and Yurr'Zonn Territories.
•The Obsidian Dragon controls the Bryndmyr, Shalvynryst, and Turridon Territories.
•The Marble Dragon controls the Ivinjarin, Roanrick, and Thirinch Territories.
•The Crimson Dragon controls the Kadonry and Raddyn Territories, and once controlled the Marankarian Territory.
•The Emerald Dragon controls the Drandolm and Hengeve Territories, and once controlled the Granite Helm Territory.
The mazkar, arcanists, and sceptres of the great houses rule the Empire. Every house works to strengthen itself, and to preserve and increase its standing within the Chaos hierarchy. It is very common for lesser houses to ally with more powerful houses within a territory, for the stronger the house, the greater its influence within its territory. But such alliances are forged and broken with regularity.
Ultimate power rules within the Chaos Empire, and the true might lies with the great houses. Wars between the houses are not uncommon, but an attacker must be careful not to weaken itself too severely in such wars, else it may find itself destroyed by another house. Houses rarely attack other houses outside of their own territory, for failure to win such a war typically results in its land holdings being lost to the house of the opposing territory. The ruling factions strongly disapprove of such action, as house wars between territories could escalate to include all the houses. Most often, if such an attack is intended, the potential attacker may well be destroyed by other houses within its own territory.
The Chaos Senate is independent of the great houses. Senators are elected by the people, and are not normally affiliated with any one house. The Senate is responsible for deciding laws, and arbitrating major disputes which rise beyond the scope of the houses. Senate seats are for life, which, depending upon whom a senator angers, may not be all that long. The number of senatorial seats a territory gains is determined by the territory's population.
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