Thralondian Empire

The **Thralondian Empire** was a powerful country that existed at Randros. It was north of Derru, Zarandu, and Zarijana; and west of Sevraeja and Rukania.

Its capital was the industrial megacity of Great Thralond, formerly Tharovil, boasting massive factories and spaceports. In spite of its spaceports, much of its military activity was more focused on conquering Jerde, leaving its small network of asteroid bases and mining facilities vulnerable to alien raiders.

## Flag

The flag of Thralond consisted of a long red banner with a black image of a bull's head. The red background symbolised the empire's quest to dominate the world, and the bull's head was a symbol for its patron deity, the Minotaur.

## History

### The Bloodied Cloud

The Thralondian Empire was set up along the arid lands to the east of Zarijana and Kalambour, amid the chaos after the Great Game between Randros' powers and the Second Kyrvotin Invasion. Within decades its fleets enslaved much of Randros' peoples, and it reached Palkyras to the west in a centuries-long campaign of war and ruin. One of its most notorious deeds was the harvesting of Epadwaranai and Heronoi slaves to use their blood to create explosives, such of which horrified most of the world to oppose its existence.

Even as it rampaged across the west, it failed to reach the lands beyond the eastern oceans. The nations of western Darros were well-defended, using super-advanced Zvestarid technology to build the Wall of Dazhbog. It was not really an enormous wall, but a series of invisible turrets that shot down nearly every skybarge and naval fleet that dared cross the ocean. Thralond lost most of its space fleets invading Darros and beyond due to the Jerde Alliance intercepting their vessels, and the only successful land invasion of Darros only flew over Rukania's empty steppes and was then gunned down by a *sich* castle holo-cloaked as a mountain.

Its rivals were the Tornarin Empire in the west, and the Wannaenid Empire beyond the North Pole.

Yet some parts of the Thralondian homeland remained isolated, as they were home to Burrow-cities that kept thousands of dissenters. Those dissenters were also allies of the slave rebellions and enemies of the empire, condemning the empire as "a cancerous growth upon our nation and the world".

### Downfall

For several centuries it managed to thrive, and it set up puppet regimes on Vozolaz (Zaqo), Gimbarish, and later on in Rabydos where its expeditions instead brought about its downfall: unleashing the Wraithstorm by tampering with its artifacts and causing millions to die horrifically, including the Emperor of Thralond himself. With the death of the Emperor the realm was split between his three bickering sons, and revolts everywhere splintered those realms further until the Thralondian Empire itself was defeated by its former subjects.

### Remnants

The modern nation of Thralond was founded by revolutionaries and reformists who defected to the rebellions. It is a republic that has paid off much of the former imperial treasury to millions of victims across the continent, especially the liberated slaves.

Under their rule, and by the guidance of the Zarijanians, they struggled to modernise and deradicalise their nation. The west was dominated by warlords who claimed themselves as the restored Thralondian Empire, gradually subdued and arrested one after the other by the new Thralondian republic.

The Battle of the Tharnagdal Treasury was the most notable of the imperialists' attacks, ending in their defeat by government forces. The last remainder of the imperialists were defeated and arrested in 1913.

## Geography

* Atharvilreg, Tharovil - imperial capital. During the latter days of the empire it was renamed to Mahkor Thralond, Great Thralond.
* Ithvaal - northern seaport, industrial city. Now the capital of the modern Thralondian republic, which converted a prince's pyramid into a museum of war criminals, a graveyard, and a university complex.
* Tharnagdal - industrial city, home to the former imperial treasury.

## Politics

Thralond was an absolute monarchy, ruled by an Emperor. Actual power was managed by the hundreds of dukes scattered throughout the empire, usually generals and their descendants.

## Military

Thralond was known for its black-plated airships, its flying fortresses.

Around a third or half of all Thralondian soldiers were of Terran origin, chosen and recruited for their brutality.

## Economy

Thralond's primary industries involved manufacturing, mining, and chemicals.

Its currencies varied throughout its centuries. Initially, it was the sirenda (pl. sirendwen), and later the mathrin (pl. mathron).

## Society

Thralond was a slave society, relying mostly on slave labour.

Even the Terran soldiers were nothing more than slaves given a little more luxury to kill or torture the locals.

## Language

See also: Thralondian glossary

* dardurros - emperor
* skana - month

## Religion

Thralond's pantheon was dominated by a minotaur god known as "Eluthog", the first legendary king. Every month, many slaves and Terrans were killed as sacrifices to Eluthog and the other Thralondian deities.

The drinking of blood was a major rite in the Thralondian religion, as it represented victory over one's enemies. However, this custom also led to lethal poisoning and occasional vampirism.

### Thralondian gods

* Eluthog - the murderous king of the gods
* Eumavre - god of entertainment and happiness

### Modern Thralondian religion

The modern religion of Thralond was an attempted restoration of the pre-imperial religion. This was banned during the centuries of the empire's existence, yet preserved in some isolated dissenters who fought against imperial forces and supported slave rebellions.

* Iomiver - god of happiness

## Trivia

* The Thralondian Empire was inspired by the Minoan civilisation, with elements mixed from the Aztec and Roman empires.