The Euluskan Empire

The Euluskan Empire (Euluska: Karáljaëuluska - classical pronunciation [ˈkɑ.ˌɾɔl.jɑ ˈɛʷ.ˌlʉs.kɑ], modern pronunciation [kʌ.ˈɾa.ʎʌ ɛβ.ˈlʏs.kʌ]), shortened to KE, was the global world superpower that defined Indratera's history. Nearly everything in the world that came after the year zero was defined by its relation, or lack thereof, to the Empire. They also influenced the dominant global social culture, and were responsible for the spread of the Euluska language, which over two thirds of Indraterans speak. You may also be looking for the list of Emperors, or the nobility & electors. They were widely considered by many to be relatively authoritarian and evil. 
== Culture and Beliefs ==
=== Language & Linguistic Purism ===
At the founding of the Empire, the ten city-states mostly spoke various dialects of Old Euluska. Those around and west of Caledvýlh spoke Fallonese, and those north of it spoke Falon; all three had common ancestors in proto-Euluska. Old Euluska became Middle Euluska gradually between the second to twelfth centuries; it was Early Middle Euluska that was spread via colonialism to the Danderillon, and Late Middle Euluska spread to Lakay. This is a reason for the language's differences in dialect globally, which was much more obvious during this medieval period due to less ease of communication or global media to connect distant groups. The language transitioned to Modern Euluska by the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries and onwards. Euluska remained the sole official language, and the Empire was quite linguistically purist. They believed their tongue to be the tongue of the gods (they called this Euluskaülsanktarik, literally 'The holiness of the Euluska language'). Indigenous languages (of which there were oh so very many) never attained official status in any Imperial territories until the fall of the Empire. The half-exception was Fallonese; the traditional language of much of the medial Fallo region and actually the language many of the Euluskan Canonised Saints would have spoken, it remained an unofficial but recognised language in the Fallo region. After the Empire's fall or overthrow in various territories, many languages made a gleeful resurgence in those areas; Kaneeyi as the biggest of Lakay's SIX official languages; Vistu in Felonil and the west Danderillon; Nadûra in the central Danderillon and Vrei to its west & east; the rapidly developing Tarkas-Brackian dialect of Euluska, and even Rakki in the northerly ex-territories and Datria.
=== Religion ===
The Euluskan Empire's state religion was Maiönan Evasanktaranism. The Empire forced those they conquered to convert. Evasanktarans believed in three gods (Maiöna, Malini & Makë) who each had neatly corresponding domains. The specific denomination of the Empire was Maiönan; they saw Maiöna as the all-powerful mother of life and light, and Makë and Malini as her daughters. Maiöna's symbolism was a golden fiery sun, Malini's the blue sky and sea, and Makë's the black earth, moon, and night. You can see these influences upon the Imperial flag; an eclipse over the sea is the unity of the three gods. Symbolism from these gods (sun, moon, stars, sea) were everywhere - on churches, buildings, flags, crests, swords, colours, and more, and can be seen even in successor states. The beliefs interred in the Evasanktaran Seven Affections (holy books) shaped the culture and beliefs of the Empire. The books instructed things like farming, social structures, home life, war, prejudice, fear, marriage, and more. One notable way they shaped Imperial culture was in the Kåva Indratera (book of the world), where the Augurs (prophets) told that Maiöna had tasked the Euluska to "keep and shepherd the pagan races" of the earth. Similar passages in this book informed and encouraged Euluskan colonialism. Also, Euluskan Saints led to the naming of countless territories and lands. 
=== Mage and Near-Human Prejudice ===
The most notable prejudice of the Empire that has shaped modern society is a prejudice against those who can wield magic. In Indratera, the presence of silver in one's blood (known as Cruor) is what allows a person to control the energies of the world around them that flow from the Great Whirlwind, an invisible engine of energy that the world is a part of. Prejudice against them stems from Evasanktaran doctrine; in the Seven Affections, 'witches' are mentioned numerous times. They get blamed for using subterfuge to get Luska (eponymous hero of the Euluska people) kicked out of her homeland, they were regarded as idolaters and infidels who prayed to false gods to gain their powers; the Augurs said that silver in the blood was the mark they carried for being betrayers; other Augurs said mages used their magic to mislead and fool the weak. Various pejoratives were used for mages, 'witch' was a medieval one used to spur on witch-hunts, whilst 'spellslinger' or 'silverblood' were modern insults. Likewise, the Affections told that those who looked different from the Euluskans were created by Maiöna to inhabit the world mindlessly (or without direction, among other things), something which the Empire took to mean that they should be prejudiced against them. Mages were the Empire's scapegoat, but near-humans were second. 
== Nobility ==
The Empire was formed of countless noble families who, put simply, owned land. The power and influence they wielded determined their position within the noble hierarchy. A full explanation, as well as a list of all notable noble families, can be seen at Euluskan Nobility & Electors. At any one time, the Empire's most powerful 5-10 families were the Electors, who then chose from among the nobility a new Emperor when the old one died. For the other noble ranks, see the page.
Each of the main noble families, when one of their scions took the throne, had an heirloom crown commissioned which was used by all future emperors of that house. The nine most notable, for the nine houses that had the most notable emperors, can be seen at The 9 Euluska Crowns.
== Early History ==
=== Prehistory ===
The Euluska people, native to southern cradle of civilisation in the Fallo, the Horn, and the Moors (together the Euluskan subcontinent), were an innovative and ambitious people. After waves of migrations beginning around 300kya, they stayed behind. Tens of thousands of years ago, they developed six key innovations: agriculture, the wheel, metallurgy, domestication of horses, complex language, and ocean sailing. By about four millennia RTE (before 0), the subcontinent was home to the first cities and city states of the ancient world, scattered around the coasts, lakes, and the Morna'la, a large 700mi freshwater inlet that helped the interior of the continent thrive. These cities allied, warred, fell, and rose various times. Below are the most notable city-states (eïothim), along with their ruling families (known as rettu).
Pre-Unification City-States
Eïothim (City State)	Modern Name	Ylvala Rettu (ruling house)
Vonzelurkanos 	Lyskeiön 	Azoälda
Vristhim 	Vrist 	Calinezzi
Navara 	Navara 	Azrapi
Cahé 	Cahay 	Fiexko
Kezalja 	Cessalia 	Volterra
Vortámorna 	Forta Morna	de'Seditus
Derálthion 	Deralth 	Athalanta
Înithion 	Inith 	Decimus
Imvolaka 	Imvola 	Castaldo
Zanktaüm 	Sanctum 	di'Sforza
=== Unification ===
In the year 32 RTE, the leader Olos Azoälda of the ruling family of the largest city, Vonzelurkanos, united his city-state with that of its neighbour, Vristhim (ruled by House Calinezzi). Between them now, they controlled over 1200 miles of unified and rich coastline. Olos took the title Reku (Old Euluska equivalent of rettu), and the epithetic name Reku Olos Rekuäiza, meaning 'King Olos who makes Kings' - or, as later transliterated, Regulus Kingmaker. Between 32 RTE and the year zero, this alliance bartered, bargained, allied, and fought, seeking to unite the other powerful families under one banner. In the year zero, all ten rettu were united under one banner, thus forming the Euluskan Empire. The pre-god-wars calendar is based off this event; the year 0 is when they official unified all 10 rettu into one empire.
== Golden Age ==
The empire lasted from 0 to 1519. Its capital was Lyskeiön, and it grew wealthy and powerful from trade and conquest. Its history is far too much to fit on one page, but here are the important eras:
==== The Fallo Campaign ====
From the 40s until about 120, the Empire strove to conquer and unite the last remaining corners of the Fallo and the Moors, where there was still resistance or groups unaligned with the Empire. Those they could not conquer or subjugate, they drove back to the foothills of the Burning Hills or the far NE moors. During this period, they wiped out the now extinct Caliveran peoples known as the Zutgardts, they beat back the southernmost Vistu nomads, they subjugated many of the Falon agrarians, fought with the Burning Hills Synods of the imperial far northern reaches, and warred with the Tbikhlan miners. By the 120s, the Fallo, Moors, and Horn were united and safe enough, with only pockets of resistance wherever there were mountains, forests, or caves. The second and third centuries were prosperous and the Empire mapped the far reaches of the world looking for more places to extend its reach.
=== The Colonisation of the Danderillon ===
Beginning in the year 299 with a landing at Yurontoq (later Felonil) and in 329 with a landing at Dakóv (later Datria), the Empire began to colonise the Danderillon from two opposite coasts, eventually meeting in the middle in the 540s and founding the mountain town of Carmogan. During these centuries, the Empire focused heavily on its imperial reach, colonising the continent by setting up great cities for settlers, as well as fighting the indigenous inhabitants (the numerous Gildegran nations, the Vreigardts, the Boarwooders, the Highlanders, the Darim, Brackians, and Vistu) and grappling with the rugged nature and great size of the land, much larger than their entire homeland; almost ten thousand miles across! Of these indigenous groups, many were reduced in number (the Vreigards, yet still fierce), forced into a nomadic life (Vistu), made to retreat to the far south/north (Highlanders, Brackians, and Gildegrans), or forced to pay fealty in money and resources (like the Darim and Boarwooders). The Empire's reach linked the continent edge from edge - going west to east with the cities of Felonil, Accipiter, Carmogan, and Datria, each roughly equally spaced; in addition to later large towns or small cities like Sedia, Taros, Jarren's Well, Malphur, Alverosa, etc. 
=== The Colonisation of Lakay ===
In the thirteenth century, the Empire began to colonise the huge tropical continent of Lakay and the Volkotti straits to its north. It was a harsh land of hot deserts and roiling tropical seas, but with untold riches of natural resources. They waged various wars with the indigenous Kaneeyi, Bayut, Uiyet, and Verdis nations, as well as coming to blows with the Vortic Mercatorium, the other budding global power - the Vortics were an entirely sea-based power, with far better sailing capabilities, and they controlled their colony of the Interior Burning Hills, which gave them an early monopoly over gunpowder for firearms. The Empire and the Vortics continued to battle over the Volkotti straits until the opening of the sixteenth century. During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the Empire used Lakay as a penal colony to send its criminals, once it had colonised the northern coast adequately.
== Fall of the Empire ==
There were several factors key that contributed to the decline of the Empire in the 1500s and its fall in 1519. It's quite easy to understand, actually:
* In 1490, Datria suffered a horrific Violet Catastrophe where a power plant reactor went critical, enveloping the entire town in a purple mist of death, leading to deaths, mass exodus, and widespread fires that destroyed the tightly packed slums. The city of Datria never regained its full glory; the Empire's shipbuilding port and east-coast Danderillon seat of power had been crippled.
* Also in 1490, the Wasting Blight, a necrotic plague, ravaged the Danderillon, crippling a lot of key trade for a few years due to fears of it spreading, and city-wide quarantines.
* In 1510 at Pharox Thas, the Admiralty and nobility of the Empire's Lakayan colonial administration were killed in a coordinated raid by pirates led by the Scaleskull. The subsequent three-year crackdown on piracy in the Volkotti Straits (to compensate) led to the thinning of resources.
* In the same year, the Disforza Conspiracy, orchestrated by Jakobo Euvristhim of House Calinezzi to usurp the di'Sforza family, succeeded, tarnishing the name of one of the Empire's key noble families and removing them. It stopped them being able to contribute or help; the messiness in dividing up their territories caused some small issues.
* Furthermore in late 1510, the Empire staged an invasion of easterly Antikosti, a major island of West Rakkimar. It was mostly rural villages, and ripe for large-scale metal mining. However, the four invading legions were almost all wiped out by guerilla fighters, blizzards, and avalanches, leading to a costly waste of resources and soldiers. 
* In 1513, Lakay declared independence after a united indigenous and prisoner rebellion. The Empire had lost its nearest colony and one that fuelled it with metal, sugar, paper, wood, and food amongst other things. The leading freedom fighter was Machavellio di'Sforza, who had been cast out three years earlier under those false pretences. 
* In 1514, Felonil declared independence from the declining Empire, eager to distance itself from an impending messy crisis. Felonil was the Empire's largest city, larger than even Lyskeiön, and the centre of the world's industrial revolution, and they had now lost it. 
* A month later in 1514, several mercenaries overthrow and kill King Mazander of Bracken; despite Bracken's ever-independent status, some of the King's court are longstanding allies and trade partners of the Empire, and so when the city falls into post-regnum anarchy, another trade partner is lost. 
* In 1515, Rakkimar makes a free trade argeement with Bracken and the Xant, which excludes the Euluskan Empire because they tried to invade a Rakkimarran island in 1510. The three nations veto trade to the Empire.
In 1519, with their territories reduced to just the Horn and Fallo, the armies of the Empire mustered for one final blaze of glory; to retake Felonil, hoping that by reacquiring the richest city on the planet, the resources could help them fight for their colonial possessions. However, unbeknownst to them, the year prior, the Lakayan Federation and the Vortic Mercatorium had allied in case of this. When the Empire draws its forces out and marches north over the Moors toward Accipiter, the Vortais-Lakayan alliance attacks in the Battle of the Horn. They blockade Sanctum, bombard Cessalia, fight the Vristhim navy in the sea south of the peninsula, and make landfall in several places. Several long weeks of a military campaign ensue as they fight bitterly toward the capital, all the while sacking and burning towns and villages. In a fortnight, they control the coastal ports of Sanctum and Cessalia, and finally reach Lyskeiön. Thus follows the Sack of Lyskeiön - the final Emperor is lynched, the city is half-burned, its coffers looted, its people fled, surrendered, or cut down. The city became a Vortic protectorate until 1540 then became independent again; its population dropped from 6.75 million to only 340,000. 
=== Post-Imperial Era ===
The armies of the Empire, underway to the Danderillon, also fractured to infighting with their leadership and homes gone. Some returned home; others settled Datria and founded the 'true successor to the Empire', others led a military junta in Carmogan, or a mercenary state in Accipiter, or went to Felonil to pledge allegiance to its nation of Scarossar. Down south, the Imperial states and great houses fractured into city-states. The elite standing army revolted and some turned into mercenaries. The naval remnants pledged allegiance to Brist and moved there to form a Grand Duchy. Infighting broke out. Cities like Sanctum, Lyskeiön, and Cessalia remained as Vortic protectorates for about 40 years until no longer worth ruling; others like Navara, Deralth, Inith, Brist, and Cahay declared themselves the true heirs and formed small successor states which naturally shifted and were redefined over the coming decades, still ruled by their noble houses. The Empire was no more, but its legacy lived on. There were some remnants in some places, and undoubtedly its history shaped all that was to come. 
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