Aedor

The Empire of Aedor was the successor state to the Elvic Empire. It was formed by the Great Tabellions, men of Empard stock.

Aedor, though by men, was an elvic-speaking empire that primarily followed the elves' ancient religion of the Faith of the Fae, which was championed by the realm's sorceror orders. Many elvic traditions were continued, though the enslavement of other men was abolished and replaced with serfdom.

The modern 'imperial remnants' are the Empire of Drame, the Imperial Kingdom of Adirith, and the Holy Kingdom of Miria.

Early Imperial Age
Formed in the Elvic Isles, it took nearly a century for the new empire to climb to its feet in the aftermath of the elves' extinction. By that time, nearly the entire mainland had broken away into savage tribes, forming the lawless region of Galdica.

Lead by the great admiral (and later emperor) Borfar Adero, the empire crossed back over to the mainland and began resettlement, though many of the Galdic tribes (founded by former slaves) were very resistant towards imperial influence of any kind. The Aedorians went to war with many Galdic tribes, but had an edge with the deadly magicks of their Sorceror Order, as well as the bronze blades of the Emperor's well-trained legions of senturions.

Aedor managed to form alliances with the Cargalds, Valgalds and Gorgalds after conquering them. With Imperial Governors in charge of these areas, they cooperated with local chieftains, slowly instilling more civilization to the tribes. With these cultural changes, along with many intermarriages between Empards and local Galds, a syncretism was made in the form of the Boldic peoples.

Carboldica was formed as a constituent kingdom of the Empire of Aedor, along with Valbolda and Gorbolda. From there, knightly tradition and feudal titles arose.

Late Imperial Age
Faith in the god known as Paragon Emmortal became widespread, championed by a cabal of prophets known as the Consortium. The faith was more simple than the Faith of the Fae, elevated commonfolk and not just magicians, and presented a manlike god rather than faeries as a deity. Emmortalism primarily took hold in the constituent Boldic kingdoms and southern Aedor, with the upper heartland remaining more conservative and Fae-worshiping. Regardless, Emperor Talmuran III converted to Emmortalism, and appointed several members of the Consortium as high counselors.

The Consortium influenced the creation of many laws that placed restrictions on the practice of magic, as well as the practice of the Faith of the Fae. Angered, a conspiracy was hatched by the Sorceror Order, and the Emperor was one day incinerated in the council chamber, along with several Consortium high counselors. A Grand Sorceror of the Empire was declared as regent, and nearly all of the anti-sorcery laws reversed. Weeks later, the Consortium launched a counter-coup with the support of senturion generals. They killed the Grand Sorceror, declared sorcery illegal, and used the military to orchestrate a 'magicide' that slaughtered sorcerors throughout the land. Individuals were rather easy to track down and kill due to the vast rosters held by the Sorceror Order and various magical guilds.

A senturion general was placed as Regent, as Talmuran IV was still a child. When he came of age to rule, he immediately became concerned with the sheer amount of influence the Consortium possessed in the capital. He attempted to impose limits on their power, and began to enact more lax spiritual polices, all against the Consortium's wishes. The Consortium eventually assassinated him, which sparked a civil war. Aedor lost its southern territories and nearly all of its constituencies, which proclaimed themselves as new kingdoms under Emmortal faith.

This was the end of Aedor, though the capital was retaken by the Faeists. The northern provinces (in the region known as Adirith) remained under their control as a rump state. This would eventually become the Imperial Kingdom of Adirith.