The Empire of Astandalas



The Empire of Astandalas was an empire lasting four thousand years and spreading over the five worlds of Zunidh, Ysthar, Alinor, Colhélhé and Voonra. It's capital city was also called Astandalas.

It was both a social institution and a magical one, with a distinct difference in magical function inside and outside the empire.

History of the Empire
Yr the Conqueror was the son of the Moon and Harbut Zalarin, the son of the Sun. He was raised in Solaara on Ysthar with his two siblings, Damar the Bold and Lazunar the Fair. Yr and Damar (and possibly Lazunar?) raised armies and conquered many lands in Zunidh, creating the Empire of Astandalas. The Lady Magus of Zunidh, Laiala of the Peacock Throne, greatly resisted them, but was unable to stop the conquest. She sought and found her successor, Nwo Ya, who agreed to an alliance with Yr. Thus Yr became the first emperor, and his body was entombed in a great Necropolis in Solaara. The early emperors were said to all have golden eyes, an indication of their divine ancestors, but the trait became rarer over time.

At some point, the Empire spread to Ysthar and the capital city of Astandalas was build there, with the Palace of Stars. By the time Aurelius Magnus became emperor, the Empire had spread to cover the majority of Zunidh and Ysthar. The Empire had been at constant war for several generations, to protect and expand its borders. Aurelius created the Aurelian Code, which laid out policies for making war and governing conquered peoples with the goal of creating a lasting peace. He was a great mage and created the Pax Astandalatis, a great work of magic that covered the whole Empire. The Pax allowed non-magicians in the Empire to use certain spells, for instance creating light, cleaning houses, and silencing noise. As part of the Pax, the nobility preformed daily rituals that supported the magic of the Empire. The Pax also suppressed wild magic, though as Aurelius was a wild mage, that part might have been added later.

After Aurelius was stolen away by the Sun, his brother, Haultan the Terrible, became emperor. He was brutal in battle and his rule was hard on conquered nations, which shaped the nature of governance for the next thousand or so years, until the Empress Dangora V’s reforms. The position of Marwn was created after Aurelius disappeared without a clear line of succession. The Marwn was made to be a back-up heir in case the primary succession failed, but was also bound into the magic of the Empire as a magical counterbalance to the emperor.

The Empire eventually spread to five worlds: Zunidh, Ysthar, Alinor, Colhélhé and Voonra, though half of Alinor was never conquered. As more kingdoms fell and were joined into the magic of the Empire, these bindings were anchored on the person of the emperor. This caused increasing magical consequences to certain actions of the emperor, for instance someone touching the emperor would catch fire and someone looking into the emperor's eyes would be blinded. Many taboos around the emperor were created to avoid these outcomes. These taboos only came into full effect for the last twelve or fifteen generations of emperors. Zangora IX did not have touch taboos, but Zangora XIII did. Zangora XIV named her consort the Hands of the Emperor, a move that worked so well for her that the next eleven emperors named someone their Hands, until Tyr IV had a falling out with his and switched to a body of councillors.

When Emperor Eritanyr died, his heir Shallyr Silvertongue dies shortly after. Therefore Artorin Damara was the first Marwn to be recalled from exile and made the next emperor. Artorin refused to make another Marwn after him. Fourteen years after he became emperor, a magical cataclysmic caused the Fall of the Empire.

Emperors of Astandalas
1. Yr the Conqueror 48. Zamyr 49. Aurelius Magnus 50. Haultan the Terrible ?. Dangora/Zangora V ?. Zangora IX ?. Zangora X ?. Zangora XI ?. Zangora XIII ?. Zangora XIV ?. Dangora XVII ?. Tyr IV 97. Lodyr 98. Anyoë 99. Eritanyr 100. Artorin Damara

Imperial Family Tree
The start of the Imperial line:

The most recent of the Imperial line: