The Drankorian Empire
The Drankorian Empire was a vast, continent-spanning empire that stretched from the Endless Ocean to the Green Sea and ruled over much of humanity during the millenia following The Downfall of Hkar. The Drankorian Empire was known for its strength in magic; the battle mages of Drankor not only protected the Empire from magical and extraplanar threats but also meant that few could stand against the full might of the Empire in battle. A civilization rich in scholarly traditions, Drankor was filled with learned societies, organizations dedicated to magical lore.
History
The Drankorian Empire grew out of the city of Drankor, founded near the mouth of the Aistanë river, largely by refugees fleeing the destruction of Hkar. From this base, the Drankorians quickly came to rule over the fertile plains along the coast, and the Crescara river valley. In Drankorian reckoning, which dates to the founding of Drankor in 4133 by the dwarven count of years, the following major events summarize the history of Drankor (taken from Cavarrio’s Chronicles of Drankor.):
- 1 DR: The city of Drankor is founded by refugees from Hkar fleeing the wars of The Downfall
- 169 DR: Celadir is proclaimed the first Emperor of Drankor, laying claim to the coastal plains and the rich Isatros river valley.
- 402 DR: The Treaty of Marhavn is signed by Emperor Goristo, and establishes the Volta as the northern border of the Drankorian Empire; the Skaer and other descendants of the ancient mariner cultures living in what is now Sembara and Cymea are imperial subjects.
- 525 DR - 528 DR: The Demonfire Wars, fought against a severe abyssal incursion. Emperor Ingwelir, a renowned wizard and warrior, died at the gates of Drankor defending the city against a demon lord.
- 528 DR - 595 DR: The Peace of Drankor, a time of peace and prosperity in the aftermath of the Demonfire Wars. Ended by the fratricide of Oros the Cruel. Later known as the First Peace or the First Golden Age.
- 597 DR: The Battle of Yaroket (“Yah-roh-keht”), won by Drankor in the Myraeni Gap, begins the Western Wars and the conquest of the western coast by Drankor
- 634 DR: The Battle of Tawir Forest ends the Drankorian conquest of the west on the northern shores of Lake Valandros.
- 647 DR: The beginning of the Great Peace, sometimes called the Golden Age of Drankor, a period of 300 years of sustained peace and prosperity across the empire.
- 688 DR: The Sibyline Archives, which will eventually become the Great Library, is founded in the developing city of Chardon
- 965 DR: The Drankorian Civil War begins with the assassination of Emperor Helea by allies of the Omnis Pura, and is won by Emperor Vestian, associated with Omnis Pura
- 1001 DR - 1013 DR: The Dominion Wars, a series of attempted conquests to the east
- 1059 DR: The destruction of Drankor by the Plague Mist
Rulers
The emperors of Drankor, starting with the rule of Celadir, who was the first to proclaim the Drankorian Empire.
| Emperor | species/ancestry | notes | rule start | rule end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celadir (m) | Peronar | first to proclaim the Empire | 169 | 231 |
| Elenwe (f) | Peronar | 231 | 244 | |
| Serime (f) | Peronar | 244 | 294 | |
| Mirodor (m) | Peronar | 294 | 331 | |
| Anates (m) | Hkar | First human emperor; began conquest of Sembaran region | 331 | 366 |
| Goristo (m) | Hkar | Renowned general and mage, negotiated final settlement of Sembaran Wars | 366 | 433 |
| Liasa (f) | Hkar | Died under suspicious circumstances | 433 | 439 |
| Estragon (m) | Peronar | Victor of contested succession | 439 | 451 |
| Kylanthe (f) | Hkar | 451 | 499 | |
| Aenros (m) | Peronar | Ascended to throne at advanced age | 499 | 513 |
| Ingwelir (m) | Peronar | Died defending empire against planar incursion | 513 | 527 |
| Malrin (f) | Peronar | Reign regarded as first great golden age | 527 | 579 |
| Pelenel (f) | Hkar | 579 | 595 | |
| Oros the Cruel (m) | Hkar | contested succession; killed his brother to secure the throne | 595 | 601 |
| Desopho (m) | Hkar | famed warrior and swordsman, prosecuted western wars | 601 | 620 |
| Thesto the Vengeful (m) | Hkar | 620 | 628 | |
| Valandros (m) | Hkar | made peace in the west | 628 | 647 |
| Rystil (f) | Peronar | (name means copper) | 647 | 654 |
| Edrae (f) | Peronar | the child emperor, magically cursed to never age, reigned for years as a child | 654 | 684 |
| Miluinis the Gentle (f) | Peronar | 684 | 701 | |
| Ernault (m) | Non-Hkar | first non-Hkar ruler | 701 | 762 |
| Aglir (m) | Peronar | one of the last Peronar rulers, his reign was considered an echo fo the First Peace and the reign of Malrin | 762 | 811 |
| Pelois (m) and Cekious (f) | Hkar | twins; ruled together; died in battle against a planar incursion | 811 | 820 |
| Melisende (f) | Non-Hkar | second non-Hkar ruler | 820 | 855 |
| Alador the Elf Friend (m) | Hkar | strong ruler | 855 | 879 |
| Imrodel (f) | Peronar | her daugher Tariele died young and never ruled; historians mark this as beginning of end of Golden Age | 879 | 934 |
| Letusas the Quiet (f) | Hkar | weak ruler | 934 | 936 |
| Eiphis the Blind (m) | Hkar | came to the throne late in life; founded University of Chardon | 936 | 943 |
| Helea (f) | Non-Hkar | killed by Omnis Pura to start civil war | 943 | 965 |
| Ysabel (f) | Non-Hkar | ally of Helea; defeated in civil war; known as the Pretender in later years | 965 | 971 |
| Vestian (m) | Hkar | won civil war against Helea faction; associated with Omnis Pura | 965 | 980 |
| Akaston (m) | Hkar | 980 | 991 | |
| Persa (f) | Hkar | 991 | 997 | |
| Iarus (m) | Hkar | died in battle | 997 | 1006 |
| Lycia (f) | Hkar | died in battle | 1006 | 1007 |
| Calemna (m) | Hkar | died in battle | 1007 | 1011 |
| Apollyon (m) | Hkar | Last Emperor of Drankor | 1011 | 1059 |
Culture
As Drankor grew into a major power, then great empire, a few aspects of its culture stood out, and have remained associated with Drankor even after its fall.
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Magic was absolutely central to Drankorian culture. The Drankorians didn’t draw strong divisions among types of magic: to them, it is all just the manipulation of extraplanar energy. Whether that is the Void via a Divine intermediary, the Plane of Magic, or the Feywild through a Archfey intermediary is of only secondary importance.
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Drankor, founded in the aftermath of perhaps the greatest supernatural catastrophe humankind had ever experienced, was deeply, deeply concerned with learning as much as possible about the secrets of the multiverse, and protecting its people from supernatural danger. While the strength of Drankorian magic meant that few, if any, extant human cultures could present an existential threat to the empire (they lost wars, but pretty much only when overextended on the frontier), supernatural dangers – dragons, giants, undead, fiends, and similar creatures – could still present real danger.
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Drankor was a culture of communities – societies, secret and not, orders, guilds, and clubs, all these kinds of factions and affiliations were very common across all of Drankorian society.
Drankorian Secret Societies
Little has come to modern times about the exact nature of Drankorian secret societies, but three at least have been noted by students and travelers.
- Omnis Pura: The Omnis Pura were heavily involved in the Drankorian Civil War, seen by later historians as a revolt against the increasing power and influence of diverse human cultures, including those who had left Hkar long before the Downfall, in the empire. The power behind the throne in the last hundred years of the Empire. Apollyon, the last emperor of Drankor, was strongly associated with Omnis Pura.
- Occulta Ludum: The Occulta Ludum were associated with the development of magic and especially with practical inventions of harnessing magical power. While they rejected the extremist claims of the Omnis Pura in the later years of the Empire, there is little evidence that has come down to current day that they actively opposed Omnis Pura.
- Fides Lucaris: The Fides Lucaris were associated with the Emperor Helea and the losing side of the Drankorian civil war. Little is known about what they did in the last few hundred years of the Empire; the only records that have readily been accessible to historians are those of executions and exile when members of the Fides Lucaris were caught. They seem to have been a cross-species alliance, involving at least humans and elves.