Empire of Stars

The **Empire of Stars**, known as the **Higardi Yormoth Empire** in scholarly/historical contexts as avoid confusion with a similar religious phrase, was the mighty, multi-cultural empire that ruled over the continent of Maywikt during what many refer to as the Golden Age. Founded in Old Higard and built from the remains of the Alfenheim Empire, the Empire of Stars was perhaps one of, if not *the*, greatest political power Evarencia has ever seen and is likely responsible for the proliferation of the half-elf people across the realm. The Empire of Stars, based around a Higardi culture, lorded over Maywikt for centuries before their rule and the ruling Yormoth-Hyperia Dynasty were ended by the arrival of the Dreadlords with its collapse signaling the beginning of the Sunless Era.

## Geography

The Empire of Stars spanned the entirety of Maywikt at its height and was based out of the lands of Old Higard and Alfenheim. The Higardi territories and most of central Maywikt served as the beating heart of the Empire with the Yormoth Dynasty's rule extending out like a web across Maywikt.

### Higardi-based Territories

* Greater Higard
	+ Bailen
	+ Old Higard
	+ Thunderfell
	+ Stellarus
	+ Nessagard
	+ Saturnia
	+ The Trollwoods
	+ Everstar
	+ Starfall
	+ Kindredwood
	+ Ehb
	+ Gondolin
* Old Alfenheim
	+ Cumbria
	+ Selusia
	+ Nightglade
	+ Maystar
	+ Spelldoom
	+ Alusia
	+ Archenium
	+ Antofaer
	+ Braehelm
	+ Toadmore
	+ Ghalldain
	+ Omonshea

## Government

The Empire of Stars was ruled by a complex, monarchial system built around the Yormoth-Hyperia Dynasty after the union of Arthur Yormoth I and Oprix Ar-tel-Hyperia. The emperors themselves needed to be cunning politicians, mighty warriors, and savant mages lest they succumb to anyone who sought their power. The Emperor was always considered the head of the the Empire, but the sheer size of Maywikt demanded an effective system of representatives and governorships in order to maintain order amongst the varied and diverse peoples of the empire.

The House of Constellations was established by the early Higardi founders to ensure that all voices reached the emperors ears. Various territories would be grouped into a larger governmental area where part of this 'constellation' that then sent their own head to be the voice to the emperor. These Constellations were formed of both appointed and elected officials, and under this system, the old ruling houses of the regions the Empire came to rule would maintain some level of power while also allowing the Higardi empire to assimilate the local populace instead of subjugating them. Constellations were also expected to collect taxes and tribute for the Empire of Stars.

## Demographics

### Ancestral Heritage

The Empire of Stars is usually given the most credit by scholars for the proliferation of the half-elf people across the realm. Many elves who came under the rule of the half-elven Higardi after assimilating would mingle with their non-elven kin. With the Higardi Otherwise, the Empire of Stars was a massively diverse entity, and many historians believe that the Empire's unification of the continent accelerated the spread of the various peoples across the realm.

### Cultural Heritage

The ruling class of the Empire of Stars were originally born from the Old Alfenheim and the Higardi who had overthrown their rulers. Throughout its history, the ruling class of the Empire of Stars remained largely Higardi, and their dominance led to the spread of the Higardi culture across the land. The Empire of Stars is ruled over a wide variety of peoples and cultures, but it was not uncommon for those that fell under their rule to either assimilate or adapt into ways that mirrored them. The use of Gothic mercenaries eventually led to the creation of the Old Goths, and the Anticosti people developed out of assimilated Forest Folk from the Whispering Woods.

## History

### Founding

*See main article: Alfenheim Empire*

In the twilight years of the Alfenheim Empire, centuries of rule toward their Higardi neighbors drove them toward unification. Under Arthur Yormoth I, the Higardi people overthrew their elven rulers, and in the ashes of their empire would they construct the greatest empire the realm has seen. In order to consolidate his position over the defeated Alfenheim Empire, Yormoth married to Alfenheim mage Oprix Ar-Tel-Hyperia, and it is their union that is considered not only the foundational moment of the Empire of Stars but also for the Yormoth Dynasty as well. This unification not only promoted the idea of joining with their subjects turned subjugators, but it also allowed the newly established Empire of Stars a great advantage in its early year. The combined territories and resources of the Higardi and Alfenheim proved an effective political and war machine that allowed them to eventually sweep across the continent.

### The Growing Empire

The territory and resources of the previous Alfenheim Empire proved fortuitous for the new Empire of Stars under the Yormoth-Hyperia dynasty. Other scholars attribute the success of the dynasty to a proud military and education tradition present from the respective families that merged to create the Higardi dynasty. A major early success for the Empire was defeating the barbarians to the west that the Alfenheim never could; the Gothic Kingdoms. With a stock of mighty Gothic knight mercenaries to complete their army, the remainder of Maywikt proved little challenge for Arthur Yormoth I and his son, Arthur II. Arthur Yormoth II managed to bring the remained of western Maywikt under the Empire of Star's control with borders reaching as far east as the modern Neutral Frontier.

It was under the third emperor, Hyperion Oprix Yormoth I that the dream of a Maywikt under the banner of the Yormoth Empire of Stars was almost completely realized. Hyperion swept west, taking the old Eastern Elven lands and the Dyrelands before turning south and reaching the Drakoast. All that remained to be conquered was the enchanted and primeval Whispering Woods and the southeastern wilderness the Higardi came to call Anticos, home of the Forest Folk. Emperor Hyperion Yormoth I would not live to realize this dream, but rather, through artful diplomacy was his daughter, Emperor Oprix Yormoth I able to claim the Forest of Secrets as a part of the Empire of Stars. With Maywikt unified under the order established by the Empire of Stars, Oprix Yormoth I's successors would reign during a historical time known as the Golden Age.

### The Golden Age

The Titan Age is considered by scholars to have officially ended after the continent of Maywikt was brought under the control of the Empire of Stars under the 4th Higardi Yormoth Emperor Oprix I. In the years to come, the continent of Maywikt knew relative peace under the Empire's rule with any dissent quashed under the Yormoth regime. Many different resources and goods moved freely across the Empire with the vast trade network maintained and watched over by the Empire. The Forest Folk of Anticos, the Silver Blade Nomads of the Silver Mist, and the Dyre Folk of the Dyrelands proved to resist the rule of the Higardi the most. The Higardi culture spread across the continent of Maywikt, most notably through most cultures across Maywikt carrying on the tradition of Knighthood in some way. Notably during this time, after uniting the continent, Emperor Oprix Yormoth I moved the Empire's capital from the Spire of the First King in Bailen into the city of Hyperion located where New Dawn is in the modern-era.

The Empire of Stars saw great success for over 1,000 years, and it is argued amongst scholars what led to the success of the mighty empire. Agreed upon reasons include:

* The general tolerance and acceptance of diversity amongst Higardi culture and the overall goal of the Empire of Stars. Instead of trying to assert elven dominance like their Alfenheim predecessors, the Empire of Stars instead found a focus in sharing their culture.
* Much of realm was still recovering from the cataclysmic Titanfall, which led many people on Maywikt to accept the magically advanced Empire of Stars with more open arms than they may normally have under less desperate circumstances with other militaries no match for the might of the Yormoth military.
* The Higardi knights brought with them the latest advance in warfare that others had yet to experience; full-plate and knights. The Gothic barbarian mercenary warriors turned knights utilized by the Yormoth Empire proved not only pivotal in many battles but also almost necessary to maintaining order across the continent.
* The Andar Giants naming the Empire of Stars the inheritors of the Mandate of Heaven before disappearing was a major political acceptance amongst the world stage at the time.
* Strong evidence of the success of the mixing of elves with other folk was easy to provide to previously traditional elven lands when the Higardi at the point of Golden Age were living proof of this with the Empire of Stars.

Regardless of the reasons for the success, the Empire of Stars' success and the Golden Age it brought came to an abrupt end when the Dreadlords descended upon the Evarencia.