Formation of Empire
Previous: Birth of the New Gods
A few conquerors demand mention who decided to use more reason than sword edge when building empires. There were also those who had a bit of an advantage in tapping their divine powers. One of these was Roele, brother of the new god Azimir.
The new gods made a pact that they would never meet in the world in physical form (to avoid another cataclysm of Deismaar's magnitude). However, they had full freedom and every instinct to give advice to their people, for they felt their former humanity strongly and fondly remembered their families and former neighbors and lands. Dyrosh, as a result, walked with Roele in dreams and promised his brother support if only Roele would try to bring peace to Stella Nova.
Thus, unlike most of his contemporaries, Roele chose to use his new powers not to glorify his own station, but to forge an empire of justice that would stand against time. He was fortunate to have the intelligence and nobility of his brother as well as the ability to set aside personal honor when his vision of the empire depended on it.
First, Roele gathered together friends who had stood at the Battle of Mount Deismaar with him. With them at his side, he accomplished the awesome task of uniting the southwestern corner of the continent, using his divine power to defeat half a dozen minor kings. My ancestor Traederic was one of his lieutenants—the proud herald and standard-bearer for Roele's armies. In a relatively short time, Roele brought most of what we now recognize as the Heartlands and the Southern Coast of Cerilia under his rule, and those who saw his power flocked to his banner.
Roele called his kingdom Avonlae after those who had first settled the land. By granting lands to those who had supported him in battle, he ensured their loyalty and, in turn, the loyalty of their vassals. (The Dosieres became chamberlains to the Roeles; we have held this station ever since, even though the line of Roele has failed.)
With his core of power behind him, Roele felt enough confidence to try to bring the rest of Cerilia under his rule. He looked to the east and north, seeking to dominate Rjurik and Brechtiir. His success with the Rjurik was limited, for the warriors of the frozen tundra knew the terrain far better than his knights ever could. He retreated from Rjuriklands, but won the leaders over with kind words and fine gifts.
Despite this initial difficulty, Roele pressed on. He found the sea-faring Brechts a much easier target than the Rjurik—if an invader simply closes off a sailor's port, how does the sailor return? The Brechts eventually capitulated to the Avonlaer forces, and Roele was free to move on to the Basarji.
Though the Basarji mages were formidable, enhanced as they were with the power of the gods, Roele's stratagems and power were enough to bring the Basarji under the Avonlaer heel. They did not go down without a fight, but eventually they tumbled.
Roele then turned his attention north, to Vosgaard. The other northern kingdoms did not deserve his hatred—they were merely lands to be added to the Avonlaer Empire. The Vos, however, had allied with Dyrosh and the humanoids, and had shown themselves to be (in Roele's eyes) unworthy of life. Perhaps his hatred clouded his thinking, or perhaps the new Vos gods helped their people in ways unseen.
The annals of the war in Vosgaard are lost, but legends tell that the Vos gods forced the awnsheghlien to fight against the Avonlaer. We do know that the humanoids, whose tribes continued to grow ever larger in the Vosgaar wastes, were instrumental in defeating the Anuirean forces. Traederic Dosiere died in this campaign, but his oldest son, Boeran, took his father's place at Roele's side.
Although Roele had not conquered the entire continent, he had done a fair job of uniting it. When Roele died, his heirs continued to rule the Empire wisely and well, even granting some measure of independence to various people within it. Descendants of bloodlines frequently squabbled among themselves, challenging each other for the right to rule and the right to continue a bloodline, but the Empire stood strong for almost a thousand years. Roele's line remained dominant above all—until, one day, disaster befell the continent.
Next: Ruins of Empire
A few conquerors demand mention who decided to use more reason than sword edge when building empires. There were also those who had a bit of an advantage in tapping their divine powers. One of these was Roele, brother of the new god Azimir.
The new gods made a pact that they would never meet in the world in physical form (to avoid another cataclysm of Deismaar's magnitude). However, they had full freedom and every instinct to give advice to their people, for they felt their former humanity strongly and fondly remembered their families and former neighbors and lands. Dyrosh, as a result, walked with Roele in dreams and promised his brother support if only Roele would try to bring peace to Stella Nova.
Thus, unlike most of his contemporaries, Roele chose to use his new powers not to glorify his own station, but to forge an empire of justice that would stand against time. He was fortunate to have the intelligence and nobility of his brother as well as the ability to set aside personal honor when his vision of the empire depended on it.
First, Roele gathered together friends who had stood at the Battle of Mount Deismaar with him. With them at his side, he accomplished the awesome task of uniting the southwestern corner of the continent, using his divine power to defeat half a dozen minor kings. My ancestor Traederic was one of his lieutenants—the proud herald and standard-bearer for Roele's armies. In a relatively short time, Roele brought most of what we now recognize as the Heartlands and the Southern Coast of Cerilia under his rule, and those who saw his power flocked to his banner.
Roele called his kingdom Avonlae after those who had first settled the land. By granting lands to those who had supported him in battle, he ensured their loyalty and, in turn, the loyalty of their vassals. (The Dosieres became chamberlains to the Roeles; we have held this station ever since, even though the line of Roele has failed.)
With his core of power behind him, Roele felt enough confidence to try to bring the rest of Cerilia under his rule. He looked to the east and north, seeking to dominate Rjurik and Brechtiir. His success with the Rjurik was limited, for the warriors of the frozen tundra knew the terrain far better than his knights ever could. He retreated from Rjuriklands, but won the leaders over with kind words and fine gifts.
Despite this initial difficulty, Roele pressed on. He found the sea-faring Brechts a much easier target than the Rjurik—if an invader simply closes off a sailor's port, how does the sailor return? The Brechts eventually capitulated to the Avonlaer forces, and Roele was free to move on to the Basarji.
Though the Basarji mages were formidable, enhanced as they were with the power of the gods, Roele's stratagems and power were enough to bring the Basarji under the Avonlaer heel. They did not go down without a fight, but eventually they tumbled.
Roele then turned his attention north, to Vosgaard. The other northern kingdoms did not deserve his hatred—they were merely lands to be added to the Avonlaer Empire. The Vos, however, had allied with Dyrosh and the humanoids, and had shown themselves to be (in Roele's eyes) unworthy of life. Perhaps his hatred clouded his thinking, or perhaps the new Vos gods helped their people in ways unseen.
The annals of the war in Vosgaard are lost, but legends tell that the Vos gods forced the awnsheghlien to fight against the Avonlaer. We do know that the humanoids, whose tribes continued to grow ever larger in the Vosgaar wastes, were instrumental in defeating the Anuirean forces. Traederic Dosiere died in this campaign, but his oldest son, Boeran, took his father's place at Roele's side.
Although Roele had not conquered the entire continent, he had done a fair job of uniting it. When Roele died, his heirs continued to rule the Empire wisely and well, even granting some measure of independence to various people within it. Descendants of bloodlines frequently squabbled among themselves, challenging each other for the right to rule and the right to continue a bloodline, but the Empire stood strong for almost a thousand years. Roele's line remained dominant above all—until, one day, disaster befell the continent.
Next: Ruins of Empire
