It's Good To Be Evil Chronicle

Starting as a mere colony of the Thassalocracy, the city of Malthryn, from its position dominating the river delta of the River Ibbis and the surrounding lands of the Ninevar, will go on to rival or even eclipse its overlords as the basis of the Grand Old Dominion, under which the city-state Ornassi political traditions were discarded for an authoritarian, bureaucratic empire under semi-theocratic control, courtesy of the Asmodean Church. Over the next six centuries, they would conquer almost the entire of Talingarde, with the exception of the wildest parts of Laithlind, the Shade-lands, and the mountain holds of the Moresain. They would even conquer territories abroad, making a protectorate of Magna Orna and Hyklos, and for a time having designs on the Ornassi Main.

The year 60, during the darkest days of Ashmedan, the traditional founding of the Axiomatic Church is with the "Twilight Synod" held in Blessed Mitanni where the various congregations and bishops agreed to the Ibbian Creed, along with the First Catechism that together made the foundational documents of the Axiomatic Church. It was able to reform the old bureaucracy of the Dominion and start reconnecting the dots of light, starting first with the new "Holy Cities" of the Ninevar. It would take decades to complete this work in truth, and the first Artifix would not be elected for some time, but it is with this date that many believe Talingarde's history truly "begins."

A year after his coronation, Emperor Leograce would marry an elvish bride, starting a tradition that would span centuries. The Holy Lawful Emperor would, with few exceptions (mainly during the Ninevarine period), marry an elvish noble tied to the Archduke of Brecheliant, and through this marriage sanctify a permanent alliance between that northron realm and the rest of the Holy Lawful Empire. Thus by this point, the Holy Lawful Empire claimed five of all the six realms of Talingarde, excepting only Laithlind.   In addition to the political implications, this Joyous Union would represent the next phase in a centuries long project by the Brecilien elves to engender a certain Goodness in the people of Talingarde. Their chivalric traditions and cultural influence would bleed into many parts of Talirean life, especially in Sarum and Rusante. It was not an unintended consequence as well that almost all successive emperors would be veelas and thus naturally longer-lived, and as the aristocracy became more and more "elf-blooded" the realms tied to hereditary titles and succession would become more and more stable, and trended towards a longer-term perspective than most quicklings are accustomed to.

Also called the Forty Years War or the Talirean Civil War, the War of Five Towers is named for the five "towers" that each competed to secure the Holy Lawful Empire for themselves. These divisions continue even centuries later, as despite the distance the political fault-lines this conflict exposed were never entirely reconciled.   The first pretender was Jaraad Barcas, the Duke of Lucador and Emperor Cador II's son. His Cadorian branch of House Barcas will continue to rule in Rusante for some time, and though they were not initially party to the Red Hand conspiracy (being that they assassinated Cador II), Jaraad will perhaps surprisingly embrace the worship of Asmodeus late in life, as will his successors. Those aligned to him are known as the Lucadi, who believe to this day in a mighty and expansive Empire and a return to the glory of the Grand Old Dominion.   The second pretender was Renestrae Ofandrus, the Empress Dowager, first married to Leograce III and then briefly to Disemnius, and at the dawn of hostilities was pregnant with Disemnius's child. Renestrae and her Vosoph allies pointed to the hereditary right to the crown, and the need for stable, long-lived aristocratic rule. Unfortunately, the Vosoph cause was hamstrung early, as with wicked magic the Bastard Prince Morgade ensured the stillbirth of his nephew in the Empress's womb. Yet this fact was hidden for many years, until the deception could no longer be entirely kept, leaving many Vosophs wondering why they still fought. Some believe the Empress Dowager sought to rule in her own right, but the truth is difficult to ascertain.   The third pretender, already hinted at, was Morgade, the Earl of Freness, also called the Bastard Prince. Born out of wedlock to a Sarumite noblewoman, his father was Markadian III, making him brother to Leograce III and Disemnius both. He was given title to a minor castle and holdings in Lower Sarum by his father, from which he began to build a base of power, appealing to the Sarumite lords who long felt that their "High King" had become far more interested in the politics of the Ninevarine city-states than the more feudal obligations of their homeland. These Kronets connect the health of the land to that of the monarch, and were willing to dig into more primal, pagan traditions, including treating with a hag coven to defang the Vosoph pretender's claim, a wicked deed that would not be revealed until much later in the war. House Morgade still exists, and would maneuver themselves into a succession of High Kings of Sarum, until their power was smashed by Temurcan Barcas, the Usurper.   The fourth pretender was Artifix Seropaenes II, an ambitious and politically minded dwarf whose days as a cardinal gave her a taste for power. Known sometimes as the War Mother, she was fond of leading armies in the field, but her influence was limited as most of the nobility, while they accepted the primacy of the church in matters spiritual, did not want to give up their privileges to a new theocratic regime. She maintained the loyalty of the metropolitan princes, but even most of the Ninevar did not respect her claim. Outside of the holy cities and the dwarven Clan Nuraal (whom politicked to have her placed in this position), the strongest support for the Milatine cause was in Agurain, as she issued sacred bulls granting them further privileges and even some independence to their church, known afterwards as the Kirk. Seropaenes would outlive the conflict, surrendering to the armies of House Eherron on the dawn of the Ninevarine Empire.   The final and fifth pretender, and arguably the "winner" of the conflict, was Segurades Eherron, the Count of Kyrene. Though Segurades was distantly related to the House of Barcas, Segurades instead positioned themselves as a peacekeeper and pointed that the position was never meant to be a hereditary title, and attempted to become the defender of the faith and Lord Protector in deed. Count Kyrene and his Renic allies firmly attempted to follow the concept of the heavenly mandate, seeking guidance from Mitra and following their conscience, not merely their church. While initially the smallest and weakest faction, like Seropaenes the Count of Kyrene outlived most of his competitors, starting as a young man and becoming a venerable statesman by the end of the conflict.   In the end, despite many battles and movements, by 489 hostilities mostly ended inconclusively. Lucador and Brecheliant had bloodied themselves against each other, the Kronets consolidated control of Lower Sarum but had no desire to march beyond their borders while the northern conflicts raged, and the Milatines and Renics had fought to a standstill, with Kolikis as their frontline. Eventually, the war was ended with an occupation by a foreign power: The Commonwealth invaded the south, with forward bases on the Buckles and quickly turning the Free Cities into their protectorates. Claiming to be a "mission of peace," the war would end but the Interregnum would continue for some time.

Ser Darius, with the Laithish clans bound to him by fey pledges and soon supplemented by the remainder of the Knights of the Alerion who flock to his banner, moves into Upper Sarum and liberates the castles there. He executes a campaign to take the River Weal, defeating the mercenary forces arrayed against him and eventually making it to Auld Sarum. There, the Earls of Sarum elect him as a true High King. He makes common purpose with the chevaliers of Brecheliant and the marchions of Rusante, but instead of wheeling to fight Temurcan directly, he instead liberates the Guranese Free Cities from the Commonwealth.   By defeating this foreign enemy, Ser Darius wins for himself and his host the legitimacy of a true Lord Protector, though adding Guranese firepower to his growing army is another noted advantage. Indeed, Guranese engineering will be crucial when he finally faces Temurcan's army, which has been supplemented with the spawning of terrifying drakes and the summoning of various fiends. Many see the parallels between Ser Darius and St. Idrian in these moments, which is heightened by the fact he is an initiate of the Aittic Mysteries. Astride his gryphon, he combats Temurcan and defeats him in single combat high above the battlefield, which takes place at Ghorvan.   While this ends the reign of Emperor Temurcan, Darius is not immediately crowned Emperor, having to spend a brutal winter campaign dealing with entrenched Commonwealth forces in the Buckles. When it is clear that no reinforcements are coming from Palladia, the conquistadors retreat, even though they could maintain the siege for years to come. This period is sometimes called the Darian Restoration (as it's seen as a return to the promise of the Empire of old) or the Coda War (as in a "coda" to the War of Five Towers).

While Talingarde was greatly weakened by the Wasting Gray, they suffered an attack from the Shade-lands. The swynherd, beastfolk of a porcine nature, pushed through a ravaged Rusan landscape after managing to breach the crumbling structure of the Watch Wall. They feasted on the dead, horrifying all good Talireans. Meanwhile, armored "turtle ships" came bearing the armies of Harakyu, kobolds driven from their homelands who first tried to settle in Algoboa before they were driven from there by the Condor Khans. They blockaded the ports of the Guranese, after they shocked the Free Arsenal with their powerful cannons and ironclad hulls, something never before seen in this part of Uskara. The kobolds were no barbarians and treated fairly, claiming that they would take a new homeland by the old right of conquest. King Dagonel instead negotiated a new settlement, directing their Shogun instead to land and make war with the sounders of pigfolk that had swarmed through the Rusan highlands and were stripping the land of anything and everything they could. While the Rusan nobility found the idea abhorrent at first, the kobolds were able to quickly dispatch the swynherd and then secure the marches, and immediately set to refortifying the Watch Wall and the many mountain bastions of that land. Almost as a fait accompli, the kobolds made themselves the protectors of what would become known as the Quintoro, the five tribes of Rusante. When the orcs later spilled out of the Fusques, having been driven to mad hunger much as the swynherd had by the Wasting Gray, the kobolds repelled them with minimal casualties and damage. While the Rusan nobles maintained their titles over cities and manors, the military counties were made marches ruled by a kobold military, under the Grand Marchion (or Grandee) who answered only to the Holy Lawful Empire.