Western Sun Elf Empire

The Western Sun Elf Empire was a former superpower of Prima Terra during the first age of history and was born out of the parition of the formerly united Sun Elf Empire. Considered the 'primary' empire of the partition period due to it holding the traditional Sun Elf homelands and its historic capital of Helion, the Western Empire was the technological and political goliath of its era.
The Empire held territory from south of the Vale of the Elves into the Southlands, covering the modern day nations of the Eldrian Empire, the Holy Goose States, Estrella, Iranno, East Marcia, Altruscia, Vulcania, and the Seldrinar Supremacy with smaller outposts in what is now The Commonwealth and the Silverwood.
Created due to the magical expansion of the Silverwood during the 'demonic incurssions' of the second age, the empire is remembered as a benevolent and peaceful superpower. Although supporting a large and impressive military, the only known conflicts the Western Sun Elves were involved in came during the First Soulthek War. Surviving artefacts and data supports the empire as boasting a powerful and advanced military of spellcasters and Warforged as well as having an aerial fleet capable of exploring the Astral Sea.
The Western Sun Elf Empire also pioneered advanced magic, including the now lost schools of Chronomancy, Astromancy, and 'Graviturgy.' Few scrolls or artefacts of these schools remain, but it is rumoured The Miskatonic house several relics relating to chronomancy in their secure labs. A sun elf chronomancy device was also present at the Order of Labelas chapter house in Krakenpost. Adventurers Doomed 2 Die are also in possession of the last known active Sun Elf star sailor, the Endeavour, captain by the warforged Auran.
The empire's sudden and dramatic collapse at the hands of Soulthek and his hordes has been subject of myth and legend throughout history. It is only since the Awakening of the Third Era that these myths have been collated in to catalouged history and extensive archaeological evidence has been gathered to support the events of the First Soulthek War. The collapse of the empire and subsequent disappearance of the sun elves during the early second age has been subject to numerous theories, including the depatrure of all remaining sun elves into the Astral Sea or into 'sleeping pods' to await a time to reconquer the world.

History

3The Western Empire was founded in the aftermath a demonic crisis, the extact details of which are unknown. It is beleived that portals to the abyss opened with the Silverwood and the extraplanuar invasion was halted only by fey spirits and the might of the Empire. This is what is beleived to have to led to a massive growth in the size of the Silverwood, effectively cutting the empire in half.
This new natural division prompted the continent spanning nation to partition its empire between its eastern and western provinces. The East built their new capital in the city of Byzarion, whilst the west maintained the traditional imperial capital of Helion. The West remained in a period of peace from the end of the crisis as no enemies surrounded the nation. It is believed the empire maintained a strong military to maintain 'law and order' but this largely served as a civil lawforce according to current theories spearheaded by the University of Falzeno.
To the empire's north, it was borded by the militaristic but allied Moon Elves, and to the east it was bordered by only the Eastern Empire. Due to the empire's peaceful coexistince with the other races within their realm, leaving them to traditional lifestyles outside of their cities and freely trading with tribes of humans, halfings, and gnomes - there was little internal friction.
Conflict only occured in the wastern empire in the aftermath of the Moon Elf assault on the Dwarves. Dwarven lore holds how as retallation of the previosu Dwarven Occupation of the Elven Homeland in the Vale, the Moon Elves were brutal and cruel to their dwarven subjects. A Dwarven uprising in the cities of Ironia, Hurgadzt, and Gould, would last for three years until the city of Hurgadzt was brutally sacked with tales talking of torture, cruel executions, and the murder of children at the hands of the Moon Elf Army.
A surviving and famous document found throughout ancient libraries and archives called 'the Proclamation of Division' dates from 2789, 2e, and is an official decree from Sun King Ellandir III, emperor of the Western Sun Elves, to his contemparary Moon King Tulak the Mighty.

"I, Sun King Ellandir III, write to you, my brother, Moon King Tulak the Mighty, in diplomatic correspondence Reports have been presented to my court by my ambassador, brother Julos Tetarllion, and survivor, Trock Withander, bard of Hurgadzst, in relation to the sacking of the Dwarven City of Hurgadzt by your brother, Dolock the Brutish in his siege of this city. I write officially to worn you, brother, that this act is of the most heinous this world has ever seen. Our people have felt the cruelest hand of tyranny, experience massacre and exile, and me and my kin swore it would never occur as long as the sun rises on our empire. Yet, you, brother, have commited such a brutal attack. Consider this proclamation, not only a protest of said actions, but as a break of all diplomatic relations between our kingdoms. I am loathed to split our brotherhood, we are the linked children of the Seladrine, yet as matter of what is just and right I must. I have warned you in previous correspondence that peace and harmony is the way forward. Only through working as a whole, can our race, and our kingdoms, grow and percivere. Only with unity can we ensure that darkness shall not take a foothold on this continent again. The acts you and your batallions have commited are repuslive to me, my people, and our gods. I will not strike you, brother, but I shall turn my back. When you see the light, we shall talk, but till then, you will face the consequences of these actions alone."

It believed following this event, the development of the construct race the Warforged bagan. Although few warforged survive in the modern world, they offer scant insight on the events of the late empire or their creation. According to Dwarven tradition, 25 years after the destruction of Hugazdst the Moon Elf Kingdom was toppled and the dwarves were recognized and welcomed by the Sun Elves.
The Empire continued on its path of magical, philosophical, and technological innovation based on unearthed ruins and aretafacts. Sun Elf technology that has been uncovered since has continued to ellude many mages and historians, with their purpose unknown or undecipherable. Miltary artefacts and development seemed to have accelerated from the 29th century onwards, as the Eastern Empire was ransacked by the Orchish Horde of Soulthek.
In common myth and legend, Soulthek, the Dark Lord, took captured Sun Elf technology and souls from those he slaid to grow in power and might. His horde managed to topple the Eastern Empire and invaded the west by crossing the Dorric mountains in the southlands and spreading eastwards and northwards. Despite an arcane and technological superiority, the Western Empire appears to have collapsed within a century. The remains of Sun Elf settlements, including the ruins of its capital in Helion, show layers of scorched stonework denoting how the entire civilization was scoured from the face of Prima Terra. Unlike an traditional invading army, Soulthek's hordes seemed content to destroy and eradicate rather than occupy and replace.
The Empire's official end is dated to the end of the Second Era, in 2925, 2e, after the Battle of Adar saw the defeat of Soulthek. Common myth holds that surviving Sun Elves and their legions commited forces to the allied army. Aedrinaran chronicles of the Great Houses also mention Western Sun Elves being present. The Wintershield Chronicles mention, "The elves of Balder's rays amassed their survivors-  children, bakers, warriors, and armies of metal in soaring ships and wooden dragons in the last defence and breath of their people. With the Jarls and King they did treat, and we did drink to their bravery and honour. Their battlemaster drank mead and sang tales of the Sun kissed cities now destroyed with Alfric." In the Saga of High King Ragnar III, the king present at the battle of Adar, they discuss the following commited forces:

"... and so did the survivors, of Balder's sun kissed lands Ride forth to Ragnar and gathered kings and jarls.
'Our land is lost, our cities scorched Though our home be burned our fury shines let vengance commit our armies of children, ships, and more.
Though we number but under a jarlship We have nothing left to lose So we shall battle forth today, and led us into victory or honoured death.'
So did join Great Ragnar, the last of the Sunshine Elves. Their metal drengr and dragons of wood weilding sunshine swords Of their number were those not of battle but of trades
And in sacrifice, they did become warriors."

After the battle, the Western Empire and the Sun Elves disappeared from Historical records. Theories range from the survivors travelling through time and space, to the entire population dying in the battle of adar. the Most likely and accepted theory is the few survivors integrated into surviving communities of elves in the Vale and human tribes. Even in the third era, the prevelance of half-elves in the former heartlands of the Sun Elf Empire, modern day Marcia, is higher than average throughout the continnent.

Azura's Time Travel

Whilst confronting High Librarian Orisander of the Order of Labelas, Doomed 2 Die were cast throughout time. Azura appeared in 26th century Helion where they were able to see the city was highly advanced and powered on high-magic. They were able to meet with the high chronomancer, Carindel, and Commander Maxel of the Ministry of the Arcane.  Azura did warn Carindel that the empire would fall within two centuries, although there is no confirmation that this warning was heeded.

Demography and Population

Despite being an elven led empire, it is beleived that just over half of the population were of direct elven lineage. The empire held 'rulership' over numerous human tribes and petty gnome and halfling states throughout its lands. These smaller people groups appeareed to have lived in general harmony with the sun-elves, but it is unknown if marriage or children between these groups and the sun-elves occured prior to the collapse of the empire.
The primary religion throughout the empire was that of the Seldarine, holding Correllon as the most important diety. Ruined temples to the Seldarine are scattered throughout former Sun Elf territory with no evidence of additional god worship amongst the elven population. Amongst the non-elves, a variety of religions continued to practice in smaller rural and tribal communities. The humans of their albionic and marcian territories worshipped the Old Gods, whilst their southern halfling and gnomic populations worshipped their respective ethno-pantheons.
Scant information survives on birth and death rates, but what has been uncovered in ruined cities shows the population likely had comfortable lives, with little evidence of many living in poverty or of prevelant disease until the empire's collapse.

Territories

Surviving information from the parition mentions where the division between the east and west would occur. From the south, the east would gain the Dorric Mountains (the dividing range between the Great Steppes and the Seldrinar Supremacy), and would go around the borders of the borders of the Silverwood, and the Dwarven Mountains to the north where the Moon Elves would reign.
In the east, the empire appears to have ended around the Craggy Peaks in Gwenydd and the Kliner marshlands of Tumbria along the Westaxian Dales. Everything within this territory, including the entirity of the modern Eldrian Heartlands, Marcian region, and Seldrinar Supremacy belonged to the empire.
There is some evidence of outposts and trading posts beyond their continental borders. Some Sun elf arifacts have been found on the Serpent Isles and northern Ombosu, indicating the empire had some presnence beyond the continenent of Prima Terra. Astral Sea citizens also claim the Sun Elves were a 'might astral empire' but no direct observation or evidence has been catalgoued within Prima Terra itself.

Military

The Sun Elf military, despite its collapse and defeat at the hands of Soulthek is historically one of the strongest and mightiest armies to have ever existed. Thier creation of the Warforged, the metallic living constructs, depict how the empire could muster a greater manpower beyond their population by building these warriors to serve them.
Auran has also claimed the Warforged numbered in the millions and were the boots on the ground for Sun Elf generals. Their army itself is also beleived to have been primarily composed of warmages and highly trained spellcasters.Their use of Astral Sailors makes them one of only two civilizations in all of history to have a dedicated air force.

Technological Level

The Sun Elves were a magically advanced society. Azura's observations of her time in Helion depicted a highly advanced society who relied on magic from lighting to consturction and transportation. By the fall of the empire, the empire also created 'sun weapons' capable of harnsassing radiant energy as blades or ammunition. The Astal Sailor, Endeavour has armed solar balistas and uses radiant energy havested from stars to power its engines, showing this technology was at least widespread enough to power a navy.
Solar Disks, items used for planar transportation, also hint at artificing engineering beyond modern standards. Other artefacts that have elluded understanding by historians are likely artificirial constructions to harness magic for everday use. The only other civilization to use such advanced magical power was the Rexian empire in the second age, who cannibalised much of th surviving Sun Elf technology. Despite advancements in the third age, the scientific and arcane advancements of the Western Empire have yet to be replicated or rivalled.

2439, 2e - 2925, 2e

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Capital

Helion

Predecessor Organization

• Sun Elf Empire

Demonym

Sun Elf

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Power Structure

Unitary state

Economic System

Post-scarcity economy

Executive Body

Sun King