Cathyrion Empire

The Cathyrion Empire, sometimes called the "Old Empire," was an elf-ruled Empire that existed during the eponymous Old Empire era. It was primarily concentrated within the regions that would become the kingdoms of Sol, Valtoria, and Yarmouth, though it also had holdings and occupational rule over territories in the desert kingdom of Sethulhmet and the forests of Golgotha, as well as attempted military expansions in the badlands of Morninguard and colonies in Halestrom. The Empire ruled for around five-hundred years - making it one of (if not the) longest lasting government in Noxerra's history.

## Main History

The Empire was ruled by the Cathyrion Dynasty - a diverse line of Emperors and Empresses from the elven House Cathyrion. The first Emperor - Galahad Cathyrion - is considered to be a major hero in Noxerra's recorded history, a bringer of peace after the turbulent wars fought during the Time of Swords. He and his descendants' attempts at conquering the known world, as well as their 500-year long reign, served as a predecessor for the Mage-Emperor's true success with the Sol Empire centuries later. Like it's eventual successor however, the Cathyrion Empire itself fell into ruin as the Empire's leadership progressively faltered, and it's influence became spread too thin for it to cope with increasing riots, uprisings, and infighting between it's culturally diverse provinces and vassal states.

The Empire officially collapsed when the last Emperor, Fyrello Cathyrion - a mere child, whose court mostly ruled in his stead - was executed during a religious uprising that came to be known as the Larethian Crusade. The Crusaders were an elven group composed of military commanders, nobles, and priests who believed that the mortal veneration of the Emperors had gone too far - and that the elves needed to return to the root of their faith in worship to Corellon Larethian. With Fyrello's death, and the lack of a true heir - the Empire fell into chaos, and it's various provinces went to war with one another over the spoils - giving rise to the Shattered War that defined the Shattered Kingdoms era.

## The Emperors

The Cathyrion Emperors and Empresses that ruled include the following, chronologically:

### **Galahad Cathyrion**

The first Emperor, called "*Galahad the Beloved*." A war hero of the Time of Swords and a great and brilliant young conqueror. An equal mix of wise and ruthless, he set the standard not only for his own dynasty - but for countless other rulers of Noxerra's history.

### **Urias Cathyrion**

The second Emperor, Galahad's eldest son. A paranoid weakling, he had his sister, Syrlua exiled - fearing that she would usurp him. This turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy - leading to the "Year of Three Emperors" - in which the throne passed from Urias, to his sister, to their young brother Shaddar after a three-way war for the throne.

### **Syrlua Cathyrion**

The third Empress, and Galahad's daughter. A strong warrior, in contrast to her older brother, and a better tactician as well. She found supporters in her exile, and successfully usurped the throne and had Urias executed. She in turn was eventually ousted and executed by her brother Shaddar - who was overseeing the conquest of Sethulhmet at the time of the war. He returned to punish her for her treachery of the rightful Emperor, Urias.

### **Shaddar Cathyrion**

The fourth Emperor, and Galahad's youngest son. Called "*Shaddar the Peacemaker*." He returned from his post in ruling the province of Sethulhmet to deal with his sister, and took the throne himself - ending the "Year of Three Emperors." He ruled for a long while afterwards, proving to be nearly as adept and skilled a ruler as his father. Widely ranked as one of the best Emperors, for both winning and maintaining a lasting peace.

### **Vysteria Cathyrion**

The fifth Empress, and Shaddar's daughter. Called "*Vysteria the Wise*." She made several progressive reforms and continued her father's legacy as a reasonable, diplomatic ruler. Her rule saw great expansion of the Empire a cultural boom. She was known for being even-handed, fair, and just. Unfortunately, her legacy was tainted by her children - who she left ill-prepared for the responsibilities of the throne.

### **Caligan Cathyrion**

The sixth Emperor, and Vysteria's son. Called "*Caligan the Mad*." He was a psychopathic warmonger, who believed that his predecessors were too soft on the Empire's provinces, and expanded the Empire with military force. He kept a harem of slaves - both male and female - to torture and rape as he saw fit. Historically viewed as the worst Emperor - and indeed, one of the most brutal historical rulers period. Some believe that he was cursed or possessed by Demons or Devils - but others believe his sins were entirely mortal. He was eventually assassinated by one of his slaves, in a plot orchestrated by other noble houses.

### **Cruscilla Cathyrion**

The seventh Emperor, and Vysteria's daughter and Caligan's sister. Known as "*Cruscilla the Blind*," she was plagued by visions and dreams that caused her great mental and physical pain - to the point of going blind even into her youth. It's been concluded by arcane scholars with particularly deep knowledge that she possessed the Sight. Enraged by the death of her brother, Cruscilla was left as mad as he was, and now vengeful - not quite so easily betrayed because of her psychic visions. Her visions guided the Empire towards many victories, and she rooted out corruption within her court and dealt with many enemies poised to topple the Cathyrion dynasty.

### **Oriadan Cathyrion**

The eighth Emperor, and Vysteria's brother and uncle to Caligan and Cruscilla; the second son of Shaddar. Older by the time he inherited the throne from his niece, who had no heirs, Oriadan was a restorer of order to the Empire following the madness of Vysteria's children. Reserved, tactful, and calm - Oriadan was a model ruler. However, even he was not left unplagued by vice and rumors - as it was said that he had a drow mistress he preferred over his high elven wife, and expressed at least an aesthetic affectation for drow fashion and culture. This gave rise to him being derisively called the "*Demonweb Emperor*," with many believing he secretly worshiped Lloth and the Dark Seldarine.

### **Syrlucio Cathyrion**

The ninth Emperor, and Oriadan's son. A strong warrior, Syrlucio was said to have a good heart but a weak mind. Oriadan had never intended to take the throne, so his children were ill-prepared to rule. Syrlucio was fair and kind, with echoes of Galahad's charisma and good will towards his citizens - but he proved weak in the face of corrupt advisors, enemy outsiders that threatened the Empire, and insurrectionist cells that had begun to form within the Empire itself. Syrlucio was ultimately betrayed and killed by his own brother, Kyber, failing to notice the enemy that had been closest to him all along.

### **Kyber Cathyrion**

The tenth Emperor, Oriadan's younger son - and rumored to be the bastard product of Oriadan and his drow mistress. Known as "*Kyber the Traitorous*." He ruled only a short while, but he had the strength Syrlucio lacked to crush the would-be usurpers to the throne, re-instilling the fear of the Empire into their far-flung provinces and colonies, and ensuring the nobles at home recognized his rule as legitimate. Kyber was feared - but not well-liked, a perfect mirror to his brother. He himself was eventually assassinated thanks to a plot within the court to reinstall Syrlucio's line to the throne - but by then, the damage Kyber had done to the Empire's good will towards it's people was impossible to heal.

### **Fyrello Cathyrion**

The eleventh and final Emperor, and Syrlucio's orphaned son. A mere child when Kyber usurped and killed his father, Fyrello was a political prisoner of Kyber's faction for years. He was quickly handed the throne by his allies in the court - but they practically ruled as regents in his name, with Fyrello merely a naive, innocent puppet too shaken by his years of imprisonment to make any real decisions himself. Unfortunately, Fyrello's "rule" lasted only two years before the insurrectionist movements overtook the Imperial loyalists, led by the Larethian Crusaders. The young elven boy was captured by the Crusade, who had him executed for the crimes of being a "false god," and an affront to Corellon - and with him, ended the great Cathyrion Emperors.

## Remnants & the Cathyrion Imperium

Even after Fyrello's execution and the ending of the Cathyrion line, Imperial loyalists attempted to maintain a grip on their power under the flag of the "Cathyrion Imperium" as one of the major factions during the Shattered War - led by Imperator Kyberion - a half-elven bastard son of Fyrello's uncle and former Emperor Kyber Cathyrion. Kyberion laid claim to the Imperial Throne and found support among those elves who held true to the Cathyrion Empire's ambitions - but the Imperium was a short-lived claimant to power, dying out at the end of the war. In the Empire's place eventually would rise the Sol Kingdom - along with other new, independent kingdoms born out of the war.

Presently, the Cathyrion Empire is not well-remembered, save for being loosely memorialized in a few historical texts and by the occasional wasteland scholar. For most, however, "the Empire" refers only to that of the Mage-Emperor's.