Suel Imperium

The Suel Imperium, also called the Suloise Imperium and the Empire of the Suel, was the ancient home of the Suloise people. It was, at times, extremely wicked and decadent. It is now buried beneath the Sea of Dust.

History

The Imperium was founded in the depths of the forgotten past, and little is known for sure of its early history (at least, not in canon, though the history of the Suel Imperium has been expanded on tremendously in issues of the Oerth Journal). The significance of the year 1 in the Suloise Dating calendar is not known in canon.

The earliest known event was the Eight-House War in circa 1100 SD. The race of skulks is thought to have been created at this time.

Around 3114 SD (-2400 CY), the Suel Imperium fought a series of wars with the monsters of the southern Crystalmist Mountains, what are now called the Hellfurnaces. The leaders of the enemies of the Suel were the so-called Fiery Kings, great families of red and shadow dragons, who led armies of orcs (roka in the Suloise tongue), goblins (or chebi), and hobgoblins (hochebi) against the fighters and wizards of the Suel. Working in concert with them were the treacherous Inheritors of the Red Gloom, magic-using worshippers of the evil Pyremius who made common cause with the dragons.

With the aid of Wee Jas and perhaps other gods, Emperor Inzhilem II of the House of Neheli-Arztin began the creation of the eight Orbs of Dragonkind, though they were not completed until at least fifty years later, during the reign of Ubrond Thrideen of the House of Neheli. Ubrond had ascended to the throne after Inzhilem II's assassination around 3158 SD (-2354 CY) after a feud within the House of Neheli-Arztin tore the house in half, wiping the partial house of Arztin from existence.

Around 3914 SD (-1600 CY), the cabal of gnomes who had created the jermlaine race were destroyed by spellcasters of the Suel Imperium.

In approximately 4297 SD (-1219 CY), the Suloise Imperial Congress approved the creation of the derro, blasphemous hybrids of human and dwarven slaves intended to serve as miners for the Suel mages. Clerics of Fortubo led numerous revolts in protest, and Fortubo abandoned the Suel humans over the terrible creation, joining the dwarf pantheon instead.

Around 4831 SD (-634 CY), the arch-mage Xodast created the terrible Bringer of Doom, if the adventure Castle Greyhawk can be believed. Xodast also imprisoned the shade Zol Darklock in a magical cube known as The Darkness That Holds All Shadows.

Around 4904 SD (-610 CY) the Society of the Serpent was founded as a group where wizards and scholars of all races could meet and exchange knowledge, making their headquarters in what they called the Tower of Art.

In 5031 SD (-484 CY), the Baklunish-Suloise Wars began, leading to the Great Migrations in which countless Suloise fled to the eastern lands and cumulating in the Rain of Colorless Fire which would destroy the Suel Imperium entirely.

Geography

The Suel Imperium was bound by a number of mountain ranges, including the Sulhauts to the north, the Hellfurnaces to the east, and a spur of the Tyurzi Mountains to the south. During its heyday it was green and fertile.

People

The Suloise people were and remain human. Nonhumans lived within the borders of the Empire as well, among them dwarves who were enslaved by the Suloise and various races created by Suloise magics, including derro, skulks, and su-dopplegangers. Hostile humanoid races, including goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs, were fought against during the wars against the Fiery Kings and hired as mercenaries during the wars against the Baklunish. Some powerful mages crossed the boundary between life and death and became Suel liches.

Religion

The Suloise worshipped the Suel pantheon, which during the Age of Glory included Beltar, Fortubo, Jascar, Kord, Lendor, Lydia, Norebo, Osprem, Phaulkon, Phyton, Pyremius, Ranet, Syrul, Wee Jas, and Xerbo. Wee Jas, at the time, was a greater goddess but had not yet acquired the portfolio of death. Ranet was poisoned by Pyremius at the time of the empire's height, and Fortubo abandoned the pantheon around 4297 SD. Vatun was not worshipped in the Suel Imperium, and it is unknown whether Vatun's brother Dalt was known to the ancient Suel or not.

Despite the legendary iniquity of the ancient Suloise people in general, the gods of the Suloise ran the gamut between good and evil and chaos and law, and were fiercely divided along both of those axes. They were in the main deities of beasts, the elements, or cosmic forces, with Kord and Syrul the main exceptions.

Languages

The chief language of the Suel Imperium is called Suloise.

Government

Executive Branch

The Suel Imperium was ruled by an emperor belonging to one of various noble houses. The last emperor of the Suel was Ad-Zol.

The noble houses of the Suel were headed by mages of unsurpassed power. The word for noble was tok and the word for mage was kel.

Legislative Branch

In addition to an emperor, the Suel Imperium also had an Imperial Congress with the power to approve laws.

Economy

The Suel utilized slave labor for at least some activities, such as mining.

Transportation

Magical transportation was available to at least some Suel mages, including artifacts such as Lendor's Matrix and The Null.

Military

The Suel armed forces consisted of nonmagical fighters with militant mages supporting them. The various noble houses trained elite assassins, spies, and guardians known as Suel arcanomachs with arcane powers specifically to combat the mages of rival houses.

During the Baklunish-Suloise wars, orcs and other evil humanoids were used extensively as mercenaries.