Nylorn Empire

The **Nylorn Empire** or **Nylorn**, is a nation located in the northwest of Grimur, near the eponymous Nylaric Peninsula. Known for its cold weather, the people of Nylorn (known as Nylorians) have adapted their lifestyle around the harsh conditions they live in. Being populated majoritarily by Vampyrs and Humans, Nylorn is the biggest Vampire nation in the world.

## Etymology

The word *Nylorn* is a derivative of the name of the state's capital, Nylaria. The word Nylorn itself holds no real meaning as it is only a modified version of the capital's name. The word Nylaria, on the other hand, comes from the ancient Nylori language meaning "Land of the Predators", as a symbol of Vampyrs earning their place at the top of the food chain revoking Humans and other humanoids from that title.

## History

### The Barbaric Age

**The Barbaric Age** (Unknown to -1237 BFE), was an era in which humans and other smaller humanoid societies ruled the lands undisputed. They waged wars, claimed lands and animals as property and drained the earth of its limited resources. Not much is known as this period as rarely any traces of it remain to this day. Somewhere near the end of this era the first generation of Vampyrs emerged. Some sources claim to pinpoint a few Vampyrs still alive that were around over three thousand years before the first era (BFE).

### The Thousand Year War

The **Thousand Year War** (-1236 to 0 BFE) was an era that, despite the name, lasted just over a thousand years before the **First Era**. During this age, powerful Vampyr war factions were formed in what would be one of the bloodiest and darkest times in Vampyric history. During this time, Vampyr families would fight for control of the lands, constantly making and breaking alliances in a chaotic war that seemed to lead nowhere. During this period humans and other humanoid societies were enslaved and managed as cattle, dividing their farms into two sectors; one that bred strong and healthy mortals that would be turned into Vampyrs to join the war effort as soldiers, and the other less worthy mortals were simply bred for sustenance of the armies.

Even with all the dead the battles brought, there were many years and even decades at some point of stalemates where no faction would dare do the first move against the other and maximized their efforts in producing bigger armies with the pass of time. This single event is the reason Vampyric population explode while humanity population decreased exponentially.

After many years of stalemate, everything would change when a new Warlord entered the conflict in the year -279 BFE. This would be none other than Lizbeth Xithus the Third. A young warlord born in the year -1175 who's family roots could be traced back to the first generation of Vampyrs to inhabit the world. This house of pure-bloods, who's unique purple eyes made them stand out in the Vampyr community, would soon rise to lead her house and wage war against every faction she came across, offering only two solutions, Annexation or death. This, as long with other great feats made the soon proclaimed Empress Xithus, to finally bring peace across the lands and join the Vampyr population under one banner.

## The First Era

**The First Era** (1 to 846) also known as the **Age of Lizbeth**, was the first time Vampyrs were united under one empire, Nylorn. With no city being deemed good enough for a capital, new empress Lizbeth Xithus would expand her empire south beyond the snowy tundra and conquer the city of Vyloria, a previously human owned nation, which was overtaken by the Imperial Army in the year 2. Most humans in Vyloria died during the siege or were enslaved.

Empress Lizbeth ruled with an iron fist. Spending the first two hundred years of her reign doing repairs and upgrading the infrastructure of her empire. She'd rule along some noble houses who were here allies during the thousand year war, now serving as aristocrats and advisors to the throne. Around the year of 611 her first son Alfyor Xithus was born.

This era saw peace, prosperity and improvement up until it's end in the year 846 when the empress was suddenly assassinated. No one knows for sure what happened. Some claim it was a noble lord or lady looking for an opportunity to cease the throne. Others say it was her son Alfyor wanting to take over himself and others believe it was her adopted daughter Ambrosia Xithus who did it out of revenge to what she did to her family and her. The only thing that is known for sure is that this ended the First Era and began the Second Era with the coronation of now Emperor Alfyor Xithus.

## The Second Era

**The Second Era** (1 to present day) also known as the **Age of Alfyor**, marks the rule of Emperor Alfyor Xithus. During this period things declined for a while as the empire adjusted to its new ruler and emperor Alfyor gained enough experience to rule alone. During the year 079, Emperor Alfyor would turn former human Morgana into a Vampyr and his new wife, officially making her Empress Morgana Xithus. This event caused outrage in the noble tier of the Vampyric populations who were the only ones to know that Empress Morgana was not a pureblood Vampyr. This almost caused a rebellion with some noble houses that ended when Emperor Alfyor murdered all the lords and ladies involved in the conspiracy during a dinner meeting in the palace in what would be known as "The night cicadas cried". After appointing new lords and ladies on his council, Emperor Alfyor would continue ruling over the empire peacefully until present day, creating new reforms that were impacted on his new appreciation for all life mortal or immortal after the change of mind he had when marrying his wife.

We are currently in the year 238 of the second era.

## History of Nylarian houses

### Reign of King Varion the Conqueror, and the origins of House Vaeral

Son of the Vampyr Vaed, who was one of the original vampyres to awaken according to House Vaerals family records, Varion Vaeral grew up in the early thousand-year war era, Varion saw the horrors of the war and after the sack of Old Runecrypt, the home of a powerful Vampyr kingdom, with this he would flee abroad and eventually become a traveller and adventurer, after 200 years of adventuring and seeing the world Varion Vaeral, son of Vaed would return home with an army of Niestrans, Laoch Giants and countless other friends and companions, with this army he retook his home and went onto conquer two thirds of Nylaria by the year 501BFE in what became known as the Wars of King Varion the Conqueror(421BFE-501BFE) which were famous for brilliant military moves by the king and for his savagery.

This marked a turning point in the thousand-year war as all thought the era of darkness and destruction was about to end, but King Varion Vaeral was then assassinated by his political rivals just after 5 years of somewhat stable rule in what became known as the Feast of New Runecrypt in 506BFE (at his capital), and so his conquered lands then rose up in rebellion as his most trusted generals and companions turned on each other, his son King Varion II reigned for three days before being assassinated as a child by his former best friend and most trusted general, the murder of the second Vaeral king ended the kingdom as the thousand war resumed in all earnest after only 5 years of peace, it would continue for another 500 years before a young new warlord rose up and finally conquered the land ushering in the First Era.

At her side was the descendant of King Varion Vaeral the Conqueror, Lord Volkar Vaeral the Pennylord who then went on to become a trade minister for the empire, and so for the rest of the First Era House Vaeral became important for the empires trade and economy as they had contacts in various distant lands, a fact which is still important to this day with various Vaeral trade posts still being found in various nearby cities and countries.

To this day the members of House Vaeral believe non-Vampyrs to be impure and that all non-purebloods are to be mistrusted when conducting trade, this is due to the assassination of King Varion at the Feast of New Runecrypt where the kings once trusted companions and allies had turned on him, many of whom were Giants, Humans, Demons and Elves who had come with him after befriending him on his many journeys across the world after they killed him many were hunted down by his sons (whom he had with many wives) and to this day that hatred lingers, but not all of House Vaeral hold a grudge against non-purebloods, many still appreciate and love foreigners, especially those sons of House Vaeral who travel and go out and see the world and those who go and trade in person just like King Varion did in his youth, a famous quote by the king reads "Go fourth my sons and see the world for we musn't perish in our homeland of hatred and blood, let the light touch your skin, and let the rain fall upon your brow, for in Nylorn only snow and blood fall upon us, and that breeds hatred", to this day many Vaerals keep true to this piece of advise from their most famous ancestor, this has led to House Vaeral being known for this division as alot of House Vaeral still see purebloods as superior.