Volcan Empire

The All-Seeing Eye, the symbol of Empress Occolor and eventual imperial standard

### Succeeded by

Satyrnine Empire

The **Volcan Empire** was a wide-ranging ancient civilization ruled by the original tiefling race of Elderland. The empire was centered in modern-day Inferny in the city of Volcone and eventually spanned every shore of the Trade Sea. Fielding one of the most powerful armies in history, the Volcans gained power through invasion of other lands, subjugation of peoples, and resource extraction. With its enormous wealth, the empire built and maintained some of the greatest works of architecture, art, public services, and technology that still stand today. Citizens of the Volcan Empire swore fealty to their supreme god Pernicus, whose lust for power and incredible strength was said to have enabled the empire to grow vast and strong.

## Founding

According to the famous legend, the city of Volcone, which became the heart of the empire, was founded by the twin brothers Volcanus and Verus as Akha, derived from the Ehramite word for "brotherhood." The brothers were humans descended from an Ehramite prince who were sent on a mission of conquest to invade the devil-infested peninsula of Zazarel. Landing in central Zazarel, the brothers founded Volcone on the banks of the Sangis River. After fighting a series of battles up the flow of the river, the brothers' army was defeated by devils at the foothills of Mt. Pernicus. The night after the defeat, legend tells that the brothers encountered the god Pernicus in the avatar of an incubus, who told them they must become greater than those they could not defeat, then he bid them to feast on his blood and give it to their army. The next day, the brothers and their entire army were transformed into a demon-human hybrid race called tieflings and they re-engaged the devil army and defeated them.

In a bid for power, Volcanus killed Verus by drinking his blood, and thus the city gained his name.

## History

### Conquests

Volcanus named himself the first emperor of Volcone and began conquering the entire Tyranon peninsula, wiping out all remnants of devilry and establishing firm tiefling control of the region. After Volcanus' death, another emperor conquered the western regions of Elderland, which were dubbed Taurania. Next the empire conquered the powerful Jotunbrud giant civilization in the Colossal War. Following the mysterious Vanishing, the Volcan Empire easily conquered the abandoned lands of the Ehramite civilization but then encountered resistance from a new race that had taken residence in the Sha'am Desert, the genasi. The Volcans eventually conquered all the way to the Majestic Ocean and subjugated the genasi heavily in their new province of Arenosa.

### Civil war

Following the resurrection of Ilmater, the Triad religion began to spread beyond the borders of Arenosa and eventually caused religious conflict between followers of the original Volcanic religion and the more novel Triad religion. Leaders in Volcone took sides and two opposing movements clashed: the Vox Potentia and the Vox Populi. Vox Potentia, the voice of power, was headed by the powerful conqueror Lucina Occolor, the All-Seeing Eye, who wielded powerful magic. Vox Populi had a revolving door of leaders but eventually settled on Antiquine, a quiet monk and prophet of the Triad.

### Republic

Antiquine eradicated the monarchic imperial order in Volcone and moved the Volcan capital to the new city of Antiquinople in the region of Antiqua. There he established a republic where citizens voted on representatives who drafted laws and maintained order. This system gave more power to the people of the empire, but over time reduced its influence, which was for centuries backed by ruthless conquest. The Volcan army disintegrated into feckless legions of untrained soldiers and Volcone itself was eventually overrun by dwarven barbarians from the Fang mountains. The eastern empire lived on for centuries as the Satyrnine Empire, composed of the satyr race which gradually supplanted tieflings in those lands.

## Geography

At its height, the Volcan Empire was divided into nine regions, called provinces.

* Imperium, the peninsula on which Volcone sat.
* Taurania, the province directly to the west of Imperium and a largely pastoral land.
* Silvum, the deep woods country home to elves.
* Merulia, the province directly east of Imperium.
* Vlavonia, the dark forested province of vampires,
* Odyssia, the former islands of the Odyssey Dynasty.
* Antiqua, the easternmost province.
* Chrysa, the former Ehramite homeland.
* Arenosa, the province encompassing the Sha'am Desert.