Fabulon

The Empire of **Fabulon** rules a wide swath of Bil Jacksonia, stretching from north to south. A conglomerate of brutal generals and equally ruthless venture capitalists has forced out its frontiers; however, Fabulon has mostly grown into empty or entombed land; the empire has never yet had to reckon with a rival as powerful as itself.

At it's head is Emperor Florian Fortunato, who rose to the throne following the death of his father Fabio Fortunato. His favorite concubine is Mercedes of Montiva, a client state of Fabulon.

## History

### Ancient Age

The origin of Fabulon can be traced back to this time, when the entire southern sea, Montiva, the Inner Ocean, modern Fabulon, and the coast around Syndrassil were controlled by Seatopia. At this time, the humans living in the area of present-day Fabulon were a mix of Seatopian colonists and subjects. They lived the in the area now known as the Old City, which at that time would have sat right at the water’s edge. The current Senate Building is constructed on what was probably one of the Seatopians’ famed dome-docks. The rest of the city was likely residential, but does not survive today.

### Age of Strife

When Chernya's experiment with the Nether, they caused the Contact Apocalypse. A plague on the world emerged, Fel, which destroyed or drove away every ancient empire. The Seatopians retreated beneath the waves, abandoning their former colonies. Khamron, the human world shaper and king of the benevolent Celestial Empire, led a desperate crusade into the heart of the nether. He sacrificed himself to stop the invasion, and his closest lieutenants sealed his corpse and themselves into a tomb. The incursions stopped, but the war continued for many years, with remaining demon armies still fighting or fleeing.

The descendents of the Seatopian colonists, unable to rework the ancient technologies, either fell prey to the Forces of Darkness or collapsed into superstitious primitives. In the north, these Wild Men would go on to become the Western Kingdoms. In the south, they remained nomadic woodland tribelets, never fully believing that the Forces of Darkness were truly gone.
Other colonists searched vainly for their Seatopian lords for generations. Exhausted, they eventually beached up on a long-abandoned volcanic outpost. Their descendents became the Montivans.

### Age of Rivals

The area around modern Fabulon was inhabited by a number of tribes. At that time it was a more diverse area, with trolls, knomes, and fairies living side-by-side. As humans steadily took over these creatures faded into the forests, but they can still be seen in the region today (albeit rarely).
One tribe, the Bauchllain, constructed a rude rocky palisade on an old stone ring overlooking the Great Forest. This fortress would become, in subsequent centuries, the Senate Building. They eventually came to control the entire area, naming their domain Faugh (Fort) Bauchllain.

The tribe became rich from the copper mines they dug under their land. They traded and warred sporadically with the Knomes. The Bauchllain attempted to sail north many times but their expeditions always failed.
A tribe of half-elf caravaners known as the Salamunda visited the Bauchllain. Initially welcomed by the men, they proved to be untrustworthy guests and briefly attempted to enslave their hosts. They were driven into the countryside, where they remained for many generations.

A warlord from the north named Lord Estran landed on the coast of Faugh Bauchllain. Thirty years of war followed between his combined arms of knights and fairies and the wild Bauchllains. The knights and the tribesmen eventually signed a peace accord, incorporating the Kingdom of Fay Bloen. The populace slowly became a mix of the two cultures.

### Golden Age

The term “golden age” does not refer to wealth and power. Fabulon is vastly more rich and influential as an Empire than it ever was as a Kingdom. “Golden age” is instead used to refer to the ethics of the day--many philosophers grouse that the empire has grown corrupt and it's moral purpose. With the advent of modern political barbarity, it is clear that Fabulon is “gilded, but no longer golden”.

Sabnok, a demon lord who had lurked in the wilderness for millennia, laid siege to the weakened Fay Bloen. Prince Esper, Estran’s son, led his forces against the Fel horde. Esper and Sabnok slew each other but the Fel army was destroyed and the Kingdom was saved. The mines below the city were turned into catacombs to house and honor the staggering casualties. This marks the beginning of Fabulon’s High Golden Age.

Repeated efforts were made to establish colonies in the north. The kingdom remained unsuccessful, losing one settlement to the Needlewood and another further east, which has never been found. The influence of the Western Kingdoms on Fabulese culture began to decline as their nobility thinned. Over time, Fay Bloen gradually became slurred to Fabulon.

Later, the Salamunda returned, this time by exploiting old tunnels beneath the catacombs. They dressed in the garb of Esper’s deceased warriors, who the superstitious populace of Fabulon refused to take arms against, and for a short time ruled the city after forcing out the court and nobility. Jenivere, the Barefoot Queen, led a rural resistance that eventually drove the Salamunda.

During this time, Montiva willingly rejoined with its long-lost kinspeople. Thanks to Montiva’s naval power, the two kingdoms began as equals, but Montiva was rapidly eclipsed by the wealth and prestige of its peninsular partner.

King Pallio declared a war of conquest on the hated knomes. The knomes had made unprecedented technological progress, however, and the invading Fabulese army was wiped out. The next years of decline and blame-mongering mark the beginning of the end of the golden age.

King Ravello the Unthinkable was killed by a consortium of nobles. For the next century, Fabulon would be ruled by a council of oligarchs, after which the golden age would officially draw to a close.

### Age of Empire

Lucus Catullo, a rich commoner from the edges of the Empire, conned his way onto the council. In the face of an apparent invasion from the Western Kingdoms, he convinced them to enact emergency measures making him sole ruler. Crowned Lucus I, he went on to dissolve the council for treason and consolidate his power as the first Emperor. The invasion was stopped at sea; historians dispute whether it was really an invading army or simply a merchant flotilla passing by.

Its political recession complete, Montiva officially became a client state of Fabulon. Its own colonies in Tranjada were given over to a company with a lucrative royal charter, a source of contention between the two countries to the present day. Currently the Galivine Export Imperative runs the banana and juma leaf plantations, but are constantly harassed by the Mantled Rays, a violent Montivan nationalist group.

Emperor Pazza II founded Port Pazza, the empire’s first permanent colony, thus fulfilling the ancient dream of the Bauchllain. Such was the significance of this act that his successor, Ollara, renamed it after herself instead. It became a tradition to name the city after the current reigning head of state.
Port Florian, then called Port Uldo, expanded into the Needlewood, the dense and haunted forest lying on its north. The borough, called Moss Acre, was lost to an unknown horror, however--something so awful that the governor at the time dug a canal between the port and the forest and posted a brigade at the bridge at all times. Mossacre, as it is now known, is still uninhabited to this day.

Marcus Cerebus, in a surprise move, exploited an ancient legal loophole to have himself declared emperor, edging his cousin off the throne. A period of chaotic and appallingly cruel governance followed, capped by the third return of the Salamunda (it later transpired that the Cerebus line was itself a Salamunda bloodline that had long ago infiltrated the nobility). Cerebus was killed, according to the story, by every single citizen of Fabulon, who bombarded him with tiles as he presided over an execution. The Salamunda were forced out for the final time.

Under-town was discovered, after which Fabulon moved in a permanent embassy, and dismantled the enchantments hiding the settlement. It became the main route through the mountains.
Sedriz and Tolero were founded by two rival venture capitalists to expand the empire’s naval power over the entire inland sea. One built a pleasure port, and the other raised a military installation.
Bordaeron, a sleepy fishing village, was conquered and repurposed into a fortress against the fairies.
Nywald was subdued and made into a client of the empire. Syndrassil, sacred to the men of the West, was seized and held as a hostage for their loyalty.

### Age of Doom?

Emperor Lucus III Gaverello, wracked with madness, was overthrown by Fabio Fortunato, his primary advisor. He had himself declared emperor soon afterward.

Lord Bigot led an expedition to the smoldering ruins of Chernaya, long held to be cursed and avoided by all preceding civilizations. He and his fifty handpicked sergeants brutalized the peaceful porcs, conquering their fledgling society in less than a day. With Imperial blessing, he established a citadel in the mountains adjacent to Chernaya, ostensibly to ward the northern border but actually intended to steal and guard ancient technology.

Fabio Fortunato died and was succeeded by his son Florian. Soon after, the empire’s scientists finally succeeded in reactivating the ancient Chernayan portals. The doors to the netherworld was opened once more. Special Projects began to search in earnest for the source of the nether’s power. They broke open the nine seals on Kamran’s tomb. Monstrously altered in death by Fel, Kamran destroyed the entire excavation brigade and fled, and Fel corruption began to manifest in the world. Doomsday cults sprung up throughout the empire as both the Church of Light's Savior and Way of One struggled to explain these events.

The empire established a garrison at Kemku, but declined to fully annex the settlement.

## Settlements

The Empire of Fabulon reaches from its captial to Port Florian, the Needlewood, Nywald, Under-town, the ruins of Chernaya south to Uone, from Bordaeron to the Moon Plains, Syndrassil the Iron Tree, and the Shale Coast to Sedriz and Tolero. It additionally claims Montiva, Ismira, and the Tranjada archipelago. It's northernmost settlement is Fort Atlas, which sits to the west of the Pit. At its southernmost sits its capital, the city of Fabulon itself.

* The Capital
	+ Pleasure Island
* Port Florian
* Sheeptopia
* Bordaeron
* Fort Atlas -- ruled by Lord Bigot
* Sedriz
* Tolero
* Syndrassil

* Undertown -- Independent, but within Fabulon's official borders
* Treetopia -- Independent but claimed
* The City of Montiva -- capital of client state
* Tranjada

## Nobles and Notables

* Florian Fortunato
	+ Lord Bigot
	+ The Honorable Judge Jacobo di Illuminati
	+ Consul Sullius Snario
	+ Velvet Armigers

* + Mercedes
	+ The Contessa
	+ Lenzo Palatinus
	+ Carla Cercci
	+ Captain Servio
	+ Jacamel di Illuminati
	+ Brydis
	+ Bishop Bilious Porfundio
	+ Senator Monicca
	+ Senator Struff
	+ Pentia Hieronymus
	+ Rufino
	+ Wharfmaster Nicci