The Shadow Empire
"We are the hunters of kings, killers of gods, conquerors of the sea. Bow or be bowed."The empire of the Shadow Men is one of the most powerful nations to have ever existed. Made up of hundreds of tribes bound together by a complex system of honor and loyalty and overseen by the Lord of All, they rule the Western Sea and its trade routes and have conquered and subjugated numerous port cities and island nations. They once invaded Thripia and ruled the city for a brief period before being expelled. Later, the Dynasty King Enacion forged a peace treaty and trade agreement with them and they have been allies of Thripia ever since.
History
The Old Empire
The precise origins of the Shadow Empire are not certain. They began as a disparate, nomadic sea people known collectively as the Shadow Men by foreigners. They existed as tribes, dis-unified, and it is believed conflict between them was common. At some stage, they established a centralized system of government, likely a council or convention of some kind between allied Lords, and in so doing there came to be a first Lord of All who would unite the empire. From there, they conquered a great portion of the world. Their skill with ships and fleets, as well as their naval technology seen in the Black Barges, was unmatched. It was during this period of aggressive conquest and expansion, referred to now as the Old Empire, in which the Invasion of Thripia occurred. They occupied the city for nearly a decade, ruling via proxy with the Dynasty King Enaceros, before his son and future king Tytos lead an coup against them in 488AL. The defeat at Thripia sent shock-waves throughout the empire. The over-extension of their fleets across the Western Sea had left them unable to properly mount a counteroffensive which gave the city time to re-man and re-equip their navy. War waged for many decades, seeing intermittent stalemate periods before conflict inevitably resurfaced. At this time, the Shadow Empire was on the brink of collapse. Infighting between the tribes and their Lords had broken out, largely over who was to blame for their inability to hold the empire's various territories, and this chaos quickly grew out of control. The sustained war efforts, however, had been taxing on Thripia and so Tytos was unable to press his advantage.The New Empire
As civil strife continued in the Shadow Empire, many factions within them rose to power. Eventually, one was dominant. The eventual Lord of All was named Zorha. He had succeeded in holding the territory of his tribe and rather than attempt to expand as his rivals did, he focused on improving what he already had and establishing a firm grip on his provinces. As the minor territories of his opponents inevitably crumbled, he swept forth to conquer them and return them to submission. At this time, war had resumed again between the new Shadow Empire and Thripia. Tytos, however, was lost at sea and his son Enacion came to power. Recognizing the strength of both nations, and knowing that escalated conflict would likely result in mass casualties and devastation on both sides, Enacion instead brokered a peace treaty. Not only would hostilities end between Thripia and the Shadow Empire, they would cooperate with one another to establish their joint rule. The Shadow Empire would protect Thripia's vessels, tax exempt in their waters, and allow them to seek wealth around the world. In turn, Thripia would give the Shadow Empire significantly lower prices for official trades, would jointly finance their endeavors where necessary and lend them the aid of their fleet if so required. Zorha accepted, intending to acquire a powerful ally which would enable him to better expand the empire. The treaty resulted in the prosperity of both empires. Enacion's subsequent abdication upon the completion of its enforcement in 518AL passed rule to his more temperamental younger brother, Oberion. Yet Oberion, despite his mistrust of the Shadow Men, maintained peace, even when the actions of the infamous pirate Ouros threatened stability. With the cooperation of Thripia, the Shadow Empire was born anew. Its tactics and methods reformed, its conquest resumed with an renewed focus on stability, trade, cultural blending and centralized authority. The reign of the Dynasty King Ladonis nearly resulted in new war against the Shadow Empire, but peace was ultimately negotiated by the Cabal of the Black and the incident would go on to be one of the central causes of the People's Uprising in 713AL.Organisation
The Shadow Empire controls vast swathes of the ocean and a significant amount of territory. Each of their provinces and vassals are managed by an individual tribe. Oftentimes, these tribes were instrumental in first conquering the territory or they are the group with whom the local population has most integrated; the union of families, especially between Shadow Men and those they subjugate, is highly encouraged as is the sharing of culture. As such, tribes will often be very different to each other in terms of practices and traditions though unified by common rituals and the religion of Daza. Tribes live upon the ocean, usually in fleets of two to six ships, travelling back and forth between the areas they control as necessary. Each tribe is headed by a patriarch known as the Lord who, upon death, deposition or exile, has his rule passed to a chosen male successor. Every member of the tribe must obey the Lord. However, if their decisions or their leadership is unpopular, it is not uncommon for a vote to be held to choose a new Lord or to circumvent a certain decision, but such an occurrence requires a two thirds majority. The Lords of each tribe in turn obey the Lord of All and serve under him. They elect a Lord of All from among their own ranks in a vote determined by majority and he will reign for life over the empire unless removed from power. Additionally, a clade of veteran ship captains known as the Windmen, chosen by the Lord of All, act as his specialized messengers and diplomats. He may send them to summon a tribe or their Lord when necessary and in turn they may be requested to send a message back to the Lord of All by his subjects; a task they are obligated to carry out. They are highly respected and often arrange meetings, calls to war, trade deals and various conventions. The interrelationships of the Shadow Empire and tightly bound by a rigid system of honor and loyalty which is greatly valued by the Shadow Men. Performing a deed in service of another, but only when requested, is a form of payment and he who requests aid must return the deed in a manner of equal or greater compensation. To refuse to do so is the most heinous of offenses and may result in exile or even death. The parties involved in such a transaction can be individuals, families, tribes or even the Lord of All himself. Indeed, it is the source of much of his power. As so many request help from the Lord of All in the managing of the empire, so to must they return aid when he calls on them and it is this which allows the empire to so quickly amass fleets and navies for war.
Founding Date
Between 400 and 480AL
Type
Geopolitical, Nomadic tribe
Demonym
Shadow Men
Government System
Tribalism
Power Structure
Thalassocracy
Economic System
Barter system
Location
Neighboring Nations
Organization Vehicles
Related Ethnicities
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