Alphatian History, revised
by James Ruhland"The True History of our beloved empire," the greybeard began, "is not always a happy one. Accompanying our great achievements is a chronicle of disaster, treachery, and struggles for our power inflicted upon our noble people by uncomprehending outsiders"
Dawn of the Alphatians
Millennia Ago, on a far-distant world called Alphatia, the original
Alphatians (a noble race) achieved an unparalleled level of
civilisation and magical comprehension on account of their
unapproachable virtue. The power they wielded as a race was greater
than that of the Immortals. Manipulation of magic fed them, clothed
them, and sheltered them.
These Alphatians looked different from the everyday Alphatians of
today. You see their likeness in what we call "pure" Alphatians:
Pale of skin, black of hair, light of eye, and refined in every
way.
Almost every representative of the race wielded magic. The rest,
those few children born without the gift of magic, were educated to
use their gifts at the utmost level of achievement, and as today
there was no social stigma upon them.
The Alphatians built an empire on their world, by invitation of the
other race that lived there. That race was that of the Cypris,
humans with copper skin and brown or red hair. The Alphatians
governed the empire - while the Cypri performed valuable social
tasks and were responsible for artistic and cultural developments.
Eventually the two races blended into one uniquely inspiring
civilisation. The Alphatians who exhibit traits of the original
pale-skinned race are now few and far-between.
The combined Cypri-Alphatians ennobled their world, and then
extended their civilisation to other worlds near them. Violent
conquest was never required, though the Alphatians developed
powerful methods for dealing with attacks against them. The
Alphatians were superior to every other race, and thus it was (and
is) their right to rule.
Not needing to work, except for occasional applications of magic,
the Alphatians became great scholars and lived a life of leisurely
contemplation. Great proportions of the population enjoyed
zzonga-fruit, though none abused this intoxicant. Distant colonies
were allowed their liberty whenever they felt they were ready for
self-rule.
As the Alphatians engaged in their academic pursuits, disagreements
emerged, though they only rarely descended into arguments, and then
only of the most elevated and courteous sort. Different
philosophies were developed, accepted by many and tolerated in the
interest of multicultural diversity by everyone. Between the great
families and churches of the Alphatians, peaceful dialogue and even
frank and open exchanges of views became common, always discussed
on the most solemn of pretexts.
The Time of Air and Fire
Just over 2,000 years ago, Year -200 (Thyatians would say BC 1200)
two schools of magic began an especially spirited debate which
would one day spell the ruin of this utopian society.
The Most Righteous College of Aerial Splendour (today called the
Followers of Air) was a sect devoted to the studies of the Plane of
Air and aerial magic. The Air Wizards accomplished miraculous feats
with their air magic--such as summoning a great bubble of
breathable air to surround the Alphatians' solar system, and doing
other things to contribute to the general welfare.
The Universal Truth of Fiery Dominion, a rival sect (today called
the Followers of Flame), held that the Plane of Fire was a source
of power and wisdom alongside that of Air (and indeed the other
elements), though no Alphatian held any belief to be superior to
any other belief. The Followers of Flame were energetic
debaters.
The two sects held numerous polite discussions and friendly
debates. These became popular public spectacles; the Alphatians had
long enjoyed philosophical discourse as a diversion from their
diligent maintenance of their Empire. New students and scholars
were recruited by the thousands to participate in dialogues
throughout the Empire.
A neutral scholar, trying to add spice to the debate, asked a
provocative question and invited scholars of both sects to put
forward essays arguing the merits of both sides of his query.
The leading debaters of both sects eagerly embraced this argument
and spent an incredible amount of time and energy writing their
debates. The neutral judge took the best of their essays, assembled
them, and published them. A great amount of work and genius had
been displayed by both sides, and all agreed that it had been
informative and inspiring for all who participated.
Alphaks' Folly
Within this, however, one man destroyed Alphatian civilisation with
just a stroke of a pen. Alphaks I was the emperor of the
Alphatians. Highly intelligent, immensely powerful, prone to
brilliant insights and childish tantrums, he had sat on the throne
of Alphatia during all the time this debate had been going on,
lending support to neither side, for he was wise enough to know
that his involvement might lead to the argument crossing the line
into real divisiveness. Considering that he, himself, was a
follower of Fire, he acted in a intelligent and disciplined
fashion, as was typical of all Alphatians. But then he fell into
madness.
But now, with the debate limited to the fields of academia (and
nearing completion), he thought he'd put in his own opinion. He
read the book of essays with as much interest and amusement as any
other Alphatian, and then, with the powers given to the Alphatian
emperor, signed into law a proclamation that the Universal Truth of
Fiery Dominion, with their superior arguments, had won the debate,
now and for all time.
The result on the part of the Air college was shock. Radical
elements of that sect went on a rampage through the Fire sect's
university grounds, and summoned mighty winds to blow buildings
away. Calmer members of the Air sect tried to hold back their more
impetuous brethren, but after all it was only meant as a fraternal
prank. Alphaks, irritated, then went too far, signing another
proclamation--outlawing the Air sect. Meanwhile, followers of the
Fire sect made prankish reprisals on the Air magicians; making
their deeds public, to the cheers of the followers, and Alphaks did
not punish them.
The Year of the Scouring
All had remained good humoured until Alphaks prodded the Followers
of Fire to greater extremes. More reprisals followed, from both
sects, and the usually pacifistic Alphatians for once lost their
cool. The Fire followers, led by Alphaks, fought the Air followers
in a war so terrible that it has gone down in legend as apocalypse.
At first the Air followers refused to sully their hands in the
blood of their countrymen, but eventually they were forced to
defend themselves. The war ravaged the world, destroyed everything
that was beautiful, killed the best of all the noble families,
scoured the empire's satellite worlds. Millions perished.
And Alphaks, to his eternal regret, discovered which was the
more powerful of the two sects--that of Air. More experienced, not
as prone to fiery passions and fatal mistakes, the Air Wizards
gradually pushed back the attacking Fire Wizards, destroying their
forces, battering them back to the citadels of Alphatia's
capital.
Knowing that Alphaks had ruined the world, the Air Wizards sought
out a way to restore its beauty. During their researches they found
another world, and were set to use it as a model, though only (they
planned) with the permission of its native inhabitants.
Meanwhile, the Fire Wizards began to recover their temper, and made
overtures of peace. They rose against the one man who was solely
and exclusively responsible for what had happened, Alphaks,
banished him, and made overtures of peace to the Air Wizards. The
Air Wizards naturally accepted these peace proposals, and the two
factions agreed to work together to restore their world to its
beauty. But Alphaks was vengeful--he sought and became an Immortal,
and used his power into a spell of destruction (where before the
war Alphatians had only used constructive magics), which covered
the whole world for years, smashing it into numberless pieces. Most
of the followers of Fire were slain, but the Air Wizards, held
aloft by the sheer force of their noble dignity, were spared, but
forced to flee into exile to the world they had discovered.
Landfall, and Other Survivals
These Alphatians came to this new world, and that event is called
Landfall--the Alphatian calendar is dated from Landfall, which is
Year 0. The Alphatians slowly began to make this world fit for
living.
Though it was not known at the time, some of the Fire Wizards
survived, too. Though the Alphatians had once been more powerful
than the Immortals, they still remained more ethical, and thus were
able to get the Immortals to serve them. The Immortals intervened
on their behalf and insured that they would not perish, though they
made the Followers of Fire wander the outer planes until all who
were alive at the time of the War of Air and Fire had perished or
left their own kind.
Since so many of these survivors were long-lived wizards, this took
a long, long time. It was 1,400 years before the survivors from
Alphaks' time had died or departed, and their descendants, who
called themselves the Flaems, were pure of Alphaks' taint. Because
the Alphatians are kind-hearted and friendly towards their
neighbours, no one was expelled from the group against his will, and
all ended up enjoying their time wandering the planes.
The New Alphatian Empire
While the surviving Followers of Fire were enjoying their travels
through the Outer Plains, the Followers of Air were settling on
this world, on a continent which most reminded them of their former
world. The Alphatians concluded that this planet had shifted the
axis of its rotation no more than two thousand years before, and
within the last two or three hundred years the ice had receded from
this fair island--and no new human settlements of any consequence
had been established here in the meantime (oh, there were some
human settlements--the inhabitants of which quickly invited the
Alphatians to rule over them, see below).
But the Alphatians were not as mighty on this world as they had
been on their own. So many of their great artifacts had been used
up, and so many of their great wizards had perished during the war
that magical knowledge was not what it once had been; also, the
very nature of magic was different, and mages found that they had
to relearn their concepts of magic and its use.
That's not to say that they weren't sufficiently excellent enough
to be acknowledged as masters of their world. They effortlessly
dominated their island, which the native inhabitants insisted they
call Alphatia, despite the Alphatian's humble nature making this
seem too presumptuous. They began building cities, and were
accepted as the superiors over other human realms, despite their
reluctance.
But their lack of magical power (compared to their strength on
their own world) forced them to make certain concessions, even
though they disliked them. Magic could no longer feed a nation, so
agriculture became important; now, farmers raised crops and were
aided by, instead of supplanted by, the wizards. Magic was no
longer sufficient to raise every brick of every city; humans built
the city walls and most of the buildings, and magic raised only the
palaces and towers of the wizards themselves. Magic alone couldn't
bring the Alphatians all the riches they wanted. . .so other
peoples volunteered to send them all the wealth they could produce,
even though the Alphatians found this behaviour strange. Indeed,
when the Alphatians arrived, the natives acknowledged their
cultural, philosophical, moral, and magical superiority. They
insisted that the Alphatians accept them as their slaves. Though
this concept was alien to the Alphatian mindset, and once they
understood what the natives meant by it they resisted it, they
thought it would be inhospitable (since the Alphatians were guests
on this world) to refuse the offer - a form of cultural imperialism
to not accept. The natives drew up a system, which is Alphatia's
social hierarchy to this day, upon which relations between the
Alphatian wizards and their slaves would be based. The Alphatians
adopted this, even though they found it harsh. However, despite the
nature of this arrangement, Alphatians are so caring and
conscientious that the slaves of Alphatia lead lives of plenty -
waited on hand and foot, spells cast on their behalf by doting
masters, clothed in silk and fed of wine and honey. None lack for
anything, so grateful are their "masters."
The First 500 Years
The Grand Council of Alphatia
Soon after the Alphatians' accepted the social contract devised by
their Mystaran hosts, the leader of the Followers of Air, by the
name Kerothar, and the remaining few score master wizards convened.
Most agreed that Kerothar should be the first emperor of the new
Alphatia; most also agreed that he should be advised by a group of
the wisest of Alphatians. From this meeting, and those which
followed, emerged the fashion of government that is found in
Alphatia today.
The Empire is led by a single person, an Emperor or Empress. This
title is hereditary, passing from parent to the child he or she
names, so long as the Grand Council agrees. Though the title might
imply some sort of high authority, even autocratic, in Alphatia
nothing could be further from the truth, since all are taken to be
equal, and Alphatia is an egalitarian society. None the less, the
Emperor or Empress' suggestions are usually followed, because they
are always exceedingly wise and foresightful suggestions which
everyone agrees to.
The Grand Council is the other governing body. Every user of magic
who achieves ultimate mastery (36th level) can be on the Council -
though not everyone is, because there are far, far *far* more than
1,000 wizards of ultimate mastery in Alphatia, and the council just
doesn't have room for them all. Sorry, you'll have to wait your
turn. The Grand Council is in part responsible for the
infallibility of the Emperor or Empress' proclamations, since their
wise and never acrimonious sessions invariably result in sound
advice being given to the Emperor or Empress.
Fragmentation of Belief
Inevitably, as magic-users began to study new fields of
spellcasting, some left the faith of the Followers of Air and
developed new and useful paths. Some wizards, who held beliefs of
the Followers of Fire but had been generously saved and brought
along to the new world by friends among the Followers of Air began
to study fire once more. Contact with the Immortals native to this
world convinced many Immortals to study and observe the
philosophies of the mighty Alphatians. Though the Alphatians, as
superior beings, did not feel the need to worship mere Immortals,
many Immortals decided that the Alphatians deserved to be served
and aided, and granted wide powers to groups of Alphatians that
they admired. Within a generation or two, there was no longer any
single philosophy to which all the Alphatians could rally.
On the other hand, the folly of Alphaks was an ever present
reminder to the Alphatians. Thus they returned to their old
tradition of acceptance and tolerance of all beliefs, their
original spirit of diversity. Alphatian society developed strict
rules for the settlement of arguments--in court, and in rigidly
controlled debating forums. Those who broke the rules were
admonished to never do so again by the Emperor and Council.
The end result has been that this specialisation of study and
interest has broadened the knowledge of the Alphatians, especially
since all knowledge is shared in a spirit of civic beneficence -
all knowledge is considered the patrimony of all Alphatians, not
just the mage who developed it. Scholastic debate became
constructive again, as it had been throughout all Alphatian history
with one the one minor exception of the destruction of Old
Alphatia.
The First Respite
After several centuries of civilisation building, the Alphatians
had developed all the lands around their beloved new homeland, were
receiving enormous annual tributes from subject populations who
were grateful for the great benefits the mere presence of
Alphatians among them gave them. Things were happy and fair.
Many outsiders volunteered to serve in Alphatia's military to
protect it from the few greedy and envious sorts who would seek to
get what was rightfully Alphatian. These mercenaries served loyally
so that Alphatian blood would not have to be shed, and Alphatian
hands would not have to be dirtied, in these distasteful
conflicts.
The family of Kerothar I was dedicating to preserving distinct
societies of Alphatians, and passed into law the "notwithstanding
clause" that made sure that the cultural traits of the "pure"
Alphatians would not be submerged by outside influences. Everyone
thought that this was a great idea, since preserving the cultural
heritage of every people was and is considered the foremost task of
all Alphatians. The Kerothar clan allowed its children to chose
mates based on love, and all went exceedingly well.
Five centuries after Landfall, the Alphatians met the Thyatian
tribes when those knavish barbarians, failing to recognise the
innate superiority of the Alphatians, began preying on the
Alphatian sea-trade. Because the Alphatian nobility was pacifistic
and forgiving, little was done to curb this raiding, as it was felt
that in time the Thyatians would come to recognise what they were
doing was morally wrong. . . .but in time the intransigent
wickedness of the Thyatians proved to be a serious drain on the
Empire's economy.
At the beginning of the ninth century after Landfall, Kerothar IV
was Emperor. He was a person with disabilities, but no stigma or
handicap was attached to that condition. He was clever in magic,
but too trusting of outsiders, some of whom were not as fine and
upstanding as Alphatians were.
The zzonga fruit, too, had survived the death of its homeworld.
Originally one family brought the fruit to this world. It could not
grow naturally here, but the family wizards quickly learned to set
up magical hothouses where it could flourish. While Alphatians
always took it in moderation, some natives did not have as much
self-restraint, and abused it, even becoming addicted to it. This
caused much anguish among the Alphatians, who never like to see
anyone suffer.
In the early centuries of this Second Alphatian Empire, the
emperors tried to stamp out the abuse of zzonga fruit, with
anti-zzonga education programs, but were never quite successful.
Later, as Kerothar's clan became less judgmental about drug use,
one of its emperors permitted the zzonga-growers to operate
undisturbed, but taxed the zzonga manufacturers in order to help
pay for the health care of those who were addicted.
The Thyatian Barbarians
About now, the Alphatians were persuaded that the Thyatians must
be stopped, that they were incapable of learning on their own that
it was wrong to attack others or engage in piracy. For three or
four centuries, the Thyatians had proved that they were a menace to
sea-trade. The Alphatians decided that they should be absorbed into
the Empire so they could teach them how to be upstanding. But the
Thyatians had two traits that were to bring grief to the
kind-hearted Alphatians. They were crafty schemers, and they were
stubbornly wicked. So stubborn were they that the phrase "he/she
has a neck like a Thyatian" is still in use by the
Alphatians--meaning that the person so described is more stubbornly
evil than any other sort of man or fiend alive.
It was thought that these barbarians could, like so many others,
be educated and learn proper social manners and virtues. The
Alphatian mountains were discovered to be full of gold, but the
Thyatians were too lazy to mine any of it, and several Alphatian
subject peoples wanted to do this work so they could increase their
shipments of gold to Sundsvall.
The Alphatians reluctantly decided they could no longer be
forgiving and tolerant in the face of Thyatian raids, nor could
they deny their subjects the opportunity to send them more tribute
if they wanted to. So they decided to kill two dragons with one
blast. By conquering the Thyatians they could try to teach them
ethics, and also please their subject peoples. So they launched a
peace keeping and nation building effort in the area held by the
three Thyatian tribes.
The Thyatians were unusually difficult to subdue and a few
Alphatian wizards were murdered by Thyatian terrorists. But the
Alphatians usual solution to a problem--negotiating with people in
a peace process until they saw reason--eventually seemed to work,
and the Thyatians became the latest addition to the Alphatian
empire.
The Alphatian's accepted the gold their subjects mined from the
mountains of the Thyatians, and many Thyatians began to emulate
this sound example, and volunteered for mining duty as well. They
raised herd-beasts and crops, and sent tribute to Alphatia, though
for some reason they didn't seem quite as enthusiastic as
Alphatia's other servants. The Alphatians learned some seafaring
knowledge and how to build some stout ships from the Thyatians, but
these were crude compared to the exquisite examples of Alphatian
naval architecture that were already sailing both the high seas and
the clouds overhead. In return, the Alphatians taught magical and
philosophical arts to their new subjects, engaging in a vast and
expensive foreign aid and uplift program, trying to raise Thyatians
to a civilised state.
But as every Mystaran knows, the stiff-necked Thyatians rejected
morality and virtue--or, rather, learned how to mouth it and
corrupt it to their own propagandistic uses. They sat and schemed
for two centuries, convincing themselves that they were being
"enslaved" by an "evil" empire. And eventually they rebelled.
The First Alphatian/Thyatian War
A Thyatian-born but Alphatian-trained man, Lucinius the Governor
of Kerendas, had achieved mastery in spellcasting in his short
life. He evidently believed that this entitled him to kingship,
even though everyone knows that Alphatian kings are selected on the
basis of their wisdom and merit, not mere spellcasting prowess.
With the aid of a warrior (a wicked wretch unacquainted with
ethics) by the name of Zendrolion, he assassinated the Alphatian
wizards present in Thyatis and declared that benighted land an
independent kingdom.
The Thyatians' lack of scruples worked in their favour. Alphatian
troops were prevented by their code of honour from engaging in the
kind of atrocities the Thyatians' specialised in. The Alphatians
had trouble overcoming their dishonourable way of fighting. The
Alphatians would certainly have prevailed eventually. . .if it
wasn't for the empire's unwarlike and peaceful nature.
Wizards preferred to spend their time in contemplative leisure,
not fighting distant, uneducable barbarians. Alphatia was merely
interested in defending itself, not attacking anyone. The
Thyatians, through crafty deceits and propaganda, convinced other
subjects that the Alphatians were "exploiting" them, and caused
many to join their revolt (notably the Ochaleans and Pearl
Islanders). The Thyatians invaded parts of the Isle of Dawn, while
Alphatia called for peace and a negotiated settlement of the
conflict. The Thyatians even threatened to assault the Alphatian
mainland. Meanwhile, Emperor Kerothar IV was spending the treasury
empty planning an epic empire-wide holiday in honour of Alphatia's
servants and slaves.
Swift action had to be taken. The Grand Council asked Kerothar IV
to step down, and he did. A youthful, energetic wizard took the
throne and the time-honoured name of Alphas, the sixth to wear that
name.
Alphas sent stern letters to wizards who were reluctant to defend
the Empire, and beggared the nation paying crack troops to join
Alphatia's armies. The Thyatian advance was stopped at the Isle of
Dawn, and eventually peace was signed between Alphas VI and King
Lucinius.
Had Alphatia not been so reluctant to engage in violence and
aggression, Thyatis would have been returned to the fold. . .but
not all the good intentions in the world can make up for the
wickedness of the Thyatians.
Years of Rebuilding
In the decades after the war, Alphas VI and the Grand Council set
the empire on a schedule of rebuilding. They imposed mild warnings
on the few wizards who neglected their duties; they turned the
attention of their magics to rebuilding agriculture and trade; they
purged there military of those who were tainted by the Thyatians'
corruption. Even so, the new Empire of Thyatis, under Emperor
Zendrolion and later under Empress Valentia, recovered much more
quickly from the war and prospered much sooner, because the
Alphatians were more generous and reluctant to impose high burdens
on their people or use expedient methods such as the treacherous
Thyatians did in order to enrich themselves.
In this time, Alphatia turned much of its attention on building
and developing its dominions in the far east. It subsidised
northern peacekeepers to remove one Thyatian trading post built on
Alphatian lands (in what is now Mystara), and kept up a strong
military deterrent force on the disputed Isle of Dawn, but mostly
kept its attentions on its eastern territories, where Jennite
tribes were now welcoming the arrival of Alphatian leaders.
It took until Year 1250 (AC 250 in the Thyatian calendar) for
Alphatia to consider herself sufficiently recovered to begin
expansion again in the west. First, colonies were planted on the
northern coasts of Ylaruam at the invitation of the Alaysians, and
these rich colonies produced much for the Empire for 250 years.
During that time, too, the Alphatian/Thyatian border lines on the
Isle of Dawn moved back and forth numerous times; though Alphatian
virtue was greater than Thyatian military power, the pathetic
Thyatian habit of treachery and duplicity subverted much of the
island's population, making recovery of our lost territories there
difficult.
Around Year 1400 (AC 400 in the Thyatian calendar), Alphatian
sorcerers discovered that descendants of the Followers of the Flame
had settled deep in the western continent, and sent them a welcome
note and encouragement in building their nation.
Modern Times
A century later, the Alphatian colonies expanding southward down
the coast of Ylaruam encountered the northward-moving Thyatians.
Fierce but sporadic fighting broke out between the colonies when
the Thyatians yet again ignored our peaceful intent and tried to
invade our territory, Mystara. This conflict was to continue off
and on for more than two hundred years.
However, this (as usual) was a peaceful time in the Empire. At
this time, the greatest period of building and internal
strengthening since the last great time of building and internal
strengthening took place within the Empire. Great schools were
built, and the great cities were expanded and renovated, and the
great barns were raised, and great silos filled with great grain
and great cows were constructed. The great cows gave great milk,
which was made into great cheese and given to our great slaves with
great gratitude.
A greatly charismatic wizardess by the name of Mylertendal, a
resident of the city of Aasla, began embracing the Alphatian
philosophy of growth and beautification. It was her belief that the
Alphatians had been infected with the Thyatian's desire for
conquest and land-grabbing, since the Alphatians had never once
engaged in this sort of behaviour before meeting the Thyatians, and
that the race must instead return to the older values of living by
generosity towards others, toleration of all, and peaceful
contemplation of the mysteries of their navels. She spent years
beautifying her own tower in Aasla and preaching her political
philosophies--that the Empire was created to rule the whole world,
but by invitation only, that the Grand Council should use its power
to limit population growth through family planning policies, and
that magical energy should be expended in making Alphatia's lower
classes the most glorious and prosperous people in the world.
She was successful in every respect, and every city and kingdom in
the Empire shows signs of this great Alphatian preoccupation with
helping the less fortunate and with opening lavish soup kitchens
and poor houses of brilliant design and beauty--and in the
continued Alphatian indifference to military matters and questions
of expansion, except on the occasions when they do engage in
military matters and expansion (as in Norwold).
Mylertendal still lives, and is a social worker tending to the
poor in Aasla.
While this domestic tranquillity was taking place, the Alphatian
colonies in Ylaruam were busy crushing their pitiful Thyatian
rivals (never mind that the Alphatian colonies in Ylaruam lasted
longer than the Alphatian ones, or that they still hold Tel Akbir
even today - I tell you they were crushed, so they were crushed).
But at the moment of triumph the Ylari banded together under the
banner of a man who had been enlightened by Alphatia's
philosophies, and since our job was done, we gladly withdrew to let
them govern themselves. The enlightened Ylari then ascended into
the ranks of the Immortals, not quite as good as becoming an
Alphatian but a passable second.
Not long after that, 50 years or so, a Grand Council member named
Halzunthram was invited by the distant Followers of Flame to rule
over them. This task he generously accepted, and began a
distinguished reign far away from Alphatia.
In far-away Flaem lands, the Alphatian descendants of the city of
Braejr were attempting to teach Alphatian civilisation to other
colonists in the same land--particularly Thyatian settlers and
elves. But they lacked the long experience of the Alphatians in
these matters, and requested assistance. With a few hand-picked
sociologists and little in the way of supplies, Halzunthram would
travel there, offer his aid, and become their rightful leader.
It was a good plan, and it worked. Within two years, the humans
and elves under Halzunthram had been assimilated into the Flaemish
civilisation of Braejr as part of its mosaic of cultures. He
announced the land an Alphatian protectorate, but his citizens -
inspired by the treachery of the Thyatians in their midst --
betrayed him and ungratefully cast him out.
The Alphatian emperor Tylion IV, looking for a way to recoup some
of the Empire's losses, began a colonising effort in the
long-forgotten lands of Norwold--and even so, not long after,
Thyatians began their own settlements there, too, though they were
not invited to come by the inhabitants.
The Last Half Century
In Year 1959 (AC 959 to the Thyatians), the Thyatians broke a
treaty concerning trade conducted between the Thyatian and
Alphatian empires. This so angered Emperor Tylion IV--it was far
from the first treaty broken by the barbarians while he sat the
throne--that he uncharacteristically for an Alphatian lost his
temper and forbearance and decided to destroy the Thyatian Empire
once and for all, and ordered a massive attack on mainland Thyatis.
By day's end, he had taken most of the Isle of Dawn and was
preparing for tomorrows assault on Thyatis itself. The next day,
Alphatian forces reached Thyatis City itself, slew its emperor,
and--briefly--reasserted rightful Alphatian control over this
nefarious land. But a sudden counter-attack by massed hordes--and
led by the crude fighter who was to be the Thyatians' next
Emperor--broke the tip off the assault's spearhead and drove the
Alphatians out of the city. The barbarians' stubbornness and
nastiness sufficed to throw the Alphatian army back to the Isle of
Dawn, and recaptured most Thyatian holdings on that island.
For Emperor Tylion IV, this was the last blow. He had behaved with
unusual irresponsibility, ignoring Alphatia's pacific ways and
trying to settle the dispute with Thyatis through war instead of
diplomacy. He had failed to protect the Antalians of Norwold from
incursions by Thyatis, or from preventing the Thyatians from duping
the Glantrians into ingratitude towards Halzunthram.
The Grand Council determined that he was no longer the man to head
the Empire. Whatever the reasons for his failures, he had failed to
live up to the standards of Alphatian decorum. The Council could
not force him to step down; but they could ask him politely, and
they did.
Tylion's daughter, herself a master magician and named heir to the
throne, took this recommendation to him. In the face of the Grand
Council's request, he did so, and his daughter, Eriadna the Wise
Also Like All other Alphatian Rulers Before Her With One Notable
But Excusable Exception ("the Wise" for short), became Empress. In
the years since, she has expanded the development program in
Norwold, stabilised the borders of the Isle of Dawn, kept Thyatian
terrorism in check, and maintained a stern opposition to rude
behaviour. Though she has been Empress for less than 40 years, it
seems she will be counted among the better rulers of the Empire,
along with all the others (except one).