Nether Empire

The Nether Empire is the empire of the Nether Horde and the successor state to the Nether Kingdom. It currently controls most of the Nether, excluding the , and New Dragonspire in the End. In addition, it holds significant but actively contested territory on the Overworld's largest continent. Naeus is the first and reigning Nether Emperor.
Naeus became the sixth Nether King after winning the Nether Civil War. He reunited the war's belligerents, the pigmen and the wither skeletons, and conquered New Dragonspire. This act established the Nether Empire, which is the first non-Ender nation to gain territory in the End. Afterwards, the empire invaded the Overworld, starting the Nether War. To fulfill the vision of King Tuskarr, who founded the Nether Kingdom by conquering the entire Nether, Naeus launched conquests of the independent kingdoms, which broke away from the Nether Kingdom long ago. Naeus' ultimate goal is to not only restore but surpass the Nether Horde as it was during Tuskarr's reign.
The empire is known for its brutality and harsh way of life. Its brute-force strategies have led to the conscription of most of its population,https://discord.com/channels/478232666781646889/795858792143257631 which is the largest of any nation — officially, the entire population is considered to be part of the army. The emperor is seen as oppressive by the rebels and feared by his enemies, but his followers view him as more benevolent than his predecessors and identify with his great objective.
==Members==
From left to right in picture:
*Lord Kralos, the Wither Knight
*Emperor Naeus (leader)
*General Hogsworth, the Pigman General (captured)
Not pictured:
*Commander Brots, The Pigman Commander
*Lord Zarkos The Arch Necromancer of the Nether Kingdom
*Wilburr
*The Nether Dragon
*Aurora Goldfist †
*Guktark, the Witherpig †
===Sub-factions===
*Nether Nobility
*Wither Clan
**Wither Knights
*Imperial Loyalists
*Order of Nether Assassins
===Defectors===
*Wurtsguard, the Wartorn
==Territory==
The Nether Empire controls most of the Nether. Naeus conquered New Dragonspire in the End and all independent Nether kingdoms except for the . The Empire also occupies Elite's Village in the Far Plains in the Overworld, making it the only faction ever with territories in all three dimensions.
=== Nether Territories ===
*Nether Horde Castle
**Nether-End Gateway
*Wither Tower
* Lava Lake
**Lair of the Wither Riders
*Crimson Forest (partial)
**Zarkos' Fortress
=== Occupied Nether Territories ===
* Crimson Forest (Piglin Kingdom controlled-area's, formerly)
** Piglin Castle (formerly) 
** Crimson Forest Village (formerly) 
=== Occupied End Territories ===
* New Dragonspire
=== Occupied Overworld Territories ===
* Frostbourne Territory (very marginal portion, formerly) 
** Hilda's Outpost (formerly)
* Barren Frontier (formerly)
* Floating Isles (partial)
** Wither Angel Camp
* Mystic Forest (partial control, formerly) 
** Coven Village (formerly)
* Far Plains
** Hemlock
==History==
=== Background ===
After winning the Nether Civil War, King Naeus of the ascended to power ("Hard Pill to Swallow"). He united the pigmen and the wither skeletons as one army under a consolidated regime. Grandmaster Kralos of the Wither Knights, the king's right hand, became the general of the Wither Clan. Hogsworth, a pigman commander who Naeus defeated but spared, became loyal to Naeus. who made him the general of the pigmen.
Naeus led the kingdom's conquest of New Dragonspire that destroyed the ("Ender Wish"). In doing so, he founded the Nether Empire. The battle marked the first known time that a non-Ender power had attacked the End. New Dragonspire became the first place in the End to succumb to foreign control.
=== Nether War ===
Shortly after, the Nether Empire sent troops to the Overworld's largest continent. Their forces landed in the uninhabited Mystic Forest, annexed it, and advanced south ("Wishing Dead"). They conquered the Far Plains by wiping out its few villages. There, they started excavating an ancient portal that could transport an entire army at once. This marked the beginning of a great conflict, the Nether War, against human factions such as the and the Netherbane. The Frostbourne armies declared themselves "vanguards of the Overworld" and marched to retake the Far Plains, a region formerly under their protection. In the ensuring battle, the Frostbourne suffered massive losses and retreated. However, Emperor Naeus was crushed by an airship ("Cold as Ice: The Remake"). All that was left of him was a talking head. His two generals vowed to lead his campaign in his absence.
While Kralos and his men managed the enslaved New Dragonspire survivors, Hogsworth pushed his forces into Frostbourne Territory. Initial success gave way to crumbling under a freezing blizzard. His army was wiped out with clever battle tactics and Hogsworth was taken prisoner ("Gotta Get Outta Here"). The inexperienced Brots filled his position. To exploit their vulnerability, the Frostbourne launched a counteroffensive that pushed back the empire to a corner of the Far Plains. But when they were on the verge of victory, Emperor Naeus reappeared, having been reconstructed with netherite by Wither necromancers. His mere presence changed the tide of the battle. The Frostbourne were forced to retreat, leading the empire to gain ground ("Back into Darkness"). However, imperial armies that were not accompanied by Naeus were swiftly crushed by the Frostbourne, so the Nether's success is limited to one front at a time. Naeus has to chose where he wants to concentrate his efforts ("You Can Do Better").
Meanwhile, Naeus ordered that all independent kingdoms in the Nether be "assimilated", or conquered, into the empire. This led to various civil wars in those kingdoms, fought between pro-independence, royalist rebels (the Freedom Fighters) and pro-imperial groups (the Imperial Loyalists). In the , Princess Abigail Crysteffor choses to support the Freedom Fighters after a fortuitous resurrection. She drives out the imperials and wins independence for the Piglin Kingdom. Feeling used by Naeus, and having witnessed imperial oppression firsthand, she starts the ("I Try Today").
==Military==
The Nether Empire does not have any official armed forces or military. Instead, anybody is required to fight if they are called to, and most pigmen voluntarily joined the battle because they have a penchant for violence. There is no training for soldiers, because pigmen and wither skeletons are naturally powerful; people are just ordered to go to battle and given a weapon.
Imperial forces are very disorganized. commanders lead their own assigned armies, but Nether generals can order anyone around and form their own armies. There are four social ranks: the Emperor (Naeus); the generals (Hogsworth, Kralos, and Brots), who answer directly to the Emperor; the captains; and the common people and soldiers, who are known as the Horde. The Wither Clan's elite, the Wither Knights, also still exist.
==Technology==
The Nether is less advanced than the Overworld and the End.
==People==
Officially, the clan divisions of the have been abolished as Naeus' reforms have united the pigmen and the wither skeletons as one army.
Other humanoid races include the Netherkin and the Blazekin.
==Sightings==
== Gallery==
===In Fractures===
File:Nether Horde Ender Wish.png| Naeus leading the Horde against the New Dragonspire in Ender Wish.
File:Nether Horde.png| A Nether Horde banner.
File:Naeus Arcane Lightning CAIR.gif| Naeus firing Arcane Lightning at the Frostbourne Footsoldiers in Cold as Ice: The Remake.
File:Naues leads army.jpg| Naeus charging out of the Ancient Portal in Cold as Ice: The Remake.
File:1horde.jpg| The Nether Horde in a promotional render.
File:Hogsworth2.gif| Nether Horde warriors charge into Frostbourne Footsoldiers.
File:Scorch Glutton and Abigail.PNG
File:Naeus Ender Wish Promotional.jpg
File:Naeus and Zeganirn Promotional.jpg
File:Naeus7.jpeg
File:Screenshot 2021-02-15 at 2.03.05 PM.png
File:Hard Pill to Swallow Scrapped Thumbnail-0.jpg
File:HardPill.jpeg
File:GGOH3.png
File:GGOH7.png
File:Markup 442.png
File:BID9.jpg
File:Frostbourne vs Nether Horde.png
==References==
Category:Factions
Category:Fractures
Category:Fractures Factions
Category:Nether
Category:Season 4 Fractures Characters
Category:Season 1 Fractures Factions
Category:Season 2 Fractures Factions
Category:Season 3 Fractures Factions
Category:Season 4 Fractures Factions