Black Demesne

The **Black Demesne** is a radical ideology espousing magical supremacy and the unification of Halann under a single magocratic state, namely the eponymous Black Demesne. It began as a thought experiment by Adelar síl na Whistlehill of the Order of the Iron Sceptre, but later gained a following of its own during the Age of Witch-Kings, with collaborators adding more and more details until it rose to the status of an ideology in its own right.

## History

The Black Demesne was developed by Adelar síl na Whistlehill during the Crimson Deluge. Originating as a series of sketches and ramblings in various journals, Adelar would write criticisms of followers of both Corinite and Regent Court for their blind following of the gods and the destruction that has caused across Cannor. Adelar described a society led by mortal-controlled magic without any reliance on the gods as true strength with limitless potential. Although Adelar would die in the late 1500s due to sickness, his journals would resurface and spread amongst like-minded individuals during the war of the Corinite League and again with the rise of Floodborn.

## Politics

Under the theoretical framework espoused by Adelar, the Black Demesne would be an autocracy led by a Sorcerer-King served by eight Acolytes. Below the Acolytes were the Apostles. This ruling body would be represented by a Skull Throne upon which the Sorcerer-King, who would later be amended to being the "Ascendant Dragon", would sit upon as a representation of their authority over even the dead. The "Skull Throne" is also written at some points as the ruling body, with all authority belonging to the "Skull Throne".

Under the Dark Degree, all territories held by the Black Demesne would secede entirely from the Empire of Anbennar, disavowing all rights and obligations and recognizing the Skull Throne as their sole sovereign. Should the Skull Throne perish for whatever reason, the later pages of the journal detail a general agreement that the strongest mage amongst the acolytes would take up the mantle through a tournament. This addendum is likely to maintain neutrality and a common goal amongst followers of the Black Demesne ideology as many supporters sought the aspect of immortality and would not plan to ever permanently die.

## Military

Like the Order of the Iron Sceptre and later Esthíl, the forces of the Black Demesne would be fueled primarily by necromancy. This would allow people who would normally be conscripted into the military to pursue the paths that they'd prefer in life and not risk the lives of their citizens in combat. These troops would be organized under the Black Host, an aggregation of different military and administrative bodies from across their dominions. This unified organization was meant to be flexible and uphold the values of the Acolytes.

Potential campaigns for the Black Demesne were titled "Black Invasions", the goal of these invasions was to be able to completely annex large swaths of land through either the distribution of the land amongst Acolytes or the efficient deployment of undead regiments. This is often seen as one of the more unrealistic ambitions of the Black Demesne .

## Religion

The religious creed of the Black Demesne was termed the Black Doctrine and rejected worship of any and all gods, taking the position that "gods" are merely highly magically powerful beings. Followers believed the world was fundamentally chaotic and that only magic could tame said chaos. It also espoused total equality, with all being equal under magical law. Most controversially, it took the position that sufficiently powerful mages could become as gods themselves.

## Culture

The culture of the Black Demesne would be heavily focused around the Ascendant Dragon, from mandatory prostrations at midnight where each citizen bows in the direction of Castonath (the proposed seat of power) to a total reverence to the hierarchy of magical power, where the Ascendant Dragon sat at the top. Non-magical citizens of the Black Demesne would be considered second-class citizens while those with magical potential would be nurtured and rewarded. Amongst those with magical power, the more potential you had the higher you would be in the social classes.

## Response

Owing to the Black Demesne's open admiration of Nichmer as "the first Sorcerer-King", contemporaries of Alder attacked him as a "Nichmerite", The Black Demesne's extensive use of necromancy also led to charges that Alder intended for the Black Demesne to become a reality.

During the Wars of the Corinite League, anti-Camiran propaganda portrayed Núrcestir as seeking to bring about the Black Demesne, inadvertently spreading knowledge of the concept farther and wider than it would have spread if no such propaganda had been produced.