Sunglow Empire

Banner of the Sunglow Empire

Greatest extent of the Sunglow Empire in 957 AD

**Khagan**               Astvaldur (901-957)                              Ovadur (957-972)
                              Tenni'kun (972-982)
                              Vainon (982-989)

### Population

8.2 Million (923)19.5 Million (957)
15 Million (989)

### Currency

Dachi

The **Sunglow Empire** was one of the largest empires in Sporian history, only matched by the Redian Swarm. From its inception from Astvaldur's coronation all the way to its partition in 989 AD it had a vast portion of Europe under its direct control or indirect control (via satrapies). Not only did the Sunglow Empire manage to go toe to toe with the dominant mage orders of Eurasia (those being the Jaegons and Decist Order), and, under Astvaldur, even defeat them but it also was one of the few countries (along with the later Hemosarian Empire, the Zephyrians, and a few others) to get to Decansinople, and the only one to nearly capture the city (the only thing stopping them was Astvaldur's sudden death). The Sunglow Empire is known as the first of the four great Spore Empires (the second was the Hemosarian Empire, the third the Federation of Spore Creatures, and the fourth the Redian Swarm). It is primarily because of the Sunglow Empire that Parreetown was made the Spore capital; though a relatively significant port beforehand Eyeruscant and Baa City were previously considered the centers of Spore civilization. Under the Sunglow Empire, Parreetown surpassed them both.

The Sunglow Empire, from its humble abode as the Sunglow Khanate, would greatly expand and develop under Khagan Astvaldur to become an extremely fearsome and powerful force throughout the European continent, only ending upon Khagan Vainon's death in 989.

## Etymology

The Sunglow Empire is named after a color, which in turn is named after one of the Holy Colors of Algodonia, Suy'glowas. Indeed, the Sunglow Empire's name in Algodonian is Imperh'a Suy'glowas, and it is considered a source of very great pride amongst both Spores and Algodoos.

## History

### Early days

The Sunglow Empire originally started as the Khanate of the Sunglows, located in the furthest north and coldest regions of Algodonia. The Sunglow Khanate was unique in that it was the only country in Algodonia to be ruled by a Spore dynasty, that being the Alona'rs dynasty, which was a noble dynasty of Algodonian Arelves. The Sunglow Khanate was generally seen as second-rate, to the point where other large Algodoo empires saw them as not worth their time to conquer due to immensely frigid temperatures even for Spore standards and their extreme underdevelopment. The Sunglows possessed incredibly powerful mages which were integrated into their army, including one of the few 'light bloodbenders', users of inherently dark magic that were able to resist its corruptin. One day, a man named Nilona "Astvaldur" Alona'rs would take power in 893 AD. He would begin developing the Sunglows into atleast a middle power within Algodonia, developing Sunvonia into an Arctic trade port. In 898 AD, the previously neutral Sunglow Khanate would enter into a war with the Kingdom of the Yellows, which they won decisively. This was seen as a minor squabbling conflict between two warlord states, but in 900 the Sunglows would get into a coalition war with most of the most developed Algodoo states in Kola after a diplomatic incident following Olivaria and Naviolia. The coalition expected an easy victory, but instead the Sunglows would steamroll the coalition after Astvaldur decisively won the Battle of Castle Mint, taking the previously difficult to siege castle, made out of pure darkness, in 2 days from October 22-24, 900 using highly efficient formations and magical bombardments onto its defenders, and finding a way to bypass the otherwise impenetrable darkness using high concentrations of light. After the Fall of Limea, the coalition would surrender on February 6, 901 being put as satrapies of the Sunglows, and later annexed in September. The annexation would be the start of the Sunglow Empire proper. The proclamation of the Sunglow Empire was simply meant to demark their rise as an Algodonian great power, until on November 901 Astvaldur decided to go to war with the Erishes, stated and justified as a war of 'subjugation' at first but in reality it was a test of Astvaldur's capabilities of leading a professional armies. Though he knew the Erishes and Petramingensites, being giants, were absolutely dreaded when weaponized, he didn't care anymore once he got on the warpath. A small elite Sunglow force under Astvaldur, as he couldn't amass anything larger while his generals were still pacifying the conquered lands in Kola, would decisively defeat an Erish 'supergrouping' or their form of army in the Battle of the Winter Lakes in early 902, which would secure a Sunglow victory against the Erish-Petramingensite union. He would vassalize the Erishes, and later reorganize from a tribal confederation into a 'Declavan-styled' absolute monarchy, with Astvaldur being officially proclaimed Khagan. The total subjugation of the Erishes in merely one decisive battle attracted some attention from the Spores, who considered the Erishes massive but deadly foes, but they were too busy fighting each other to really do much. The Khagan would later have a son, Ovadur, in 903. There was not much time for parenting, though; Astvaldur realized the amount of power he had under his control and began preparing for his next set of conquests; subjugating all of Algodonia under his control. The resulting Algodonian Great War, lasting three years from 903 to 906, from the Battle of Crimsonia to the capture of Redia would end in a decisive Sunglow Empire victory with surprising minimal casualties; the amount of men the Khan had after his return would embolden him to conquer the now worried and panicking Spores, seeing that, being an Arelf, he could garner legitimacy within the natives and native kingdoms in order to establish a mighty unified Spore state, and then spread his influence outward with the extreme power of the Algodonian and Spore armies combined.