Bright Empire of the Oathsworn, formerly the Dread Empire of the Hellsworn
Survivors of four exoduses, the peoples of the Bright Empire caused the Deluge when they arrived on Quinternia centuries ago, mortal refugees from the Abyss. Since then, they’ve gone from hard-pressed survivors, to infernal tyrants, to a powerful but progressive theocratic empire, ruled with a steel fist in a velvet glove by the Bright Empress, their monarch-turned deity. Their navy patrols the seas and skies for thousands of miles around their capital of New Vigilance, as they lead the world in technological innovation and martial might.
The Royal Line of Arigulus Upon Arrival upon Quinternia
- Marcus I, the Vanguard. Survived the Deluge, and ruled for decades, helping to establish a foothold on the oceans of the New World. Died of old age.
- Argus VIII, the Hardy. Ruled for 20 years, assassinated by infernalists within the lords’ alliance during a failed coup.
- Aria X rules for 40 years, known as the Inquisitor for her rooting out and punishment of infernalists. Died of old age.
- Marcus IV attempted to heal the divide between the noble families and the Imperial seat. Known as the Forgiving.
- Aria IV, the Enduring, known for leading her people against the tainted seas and the initial threat of the Maelstrom resurgence.
- Aria V, the Elder Empress. Endured the long famine, lived to a great age despite insisting on eating the same rations her troops were on.
- Aria VI, the Young. Taking over from her grandmother, she ascended at the age of 12. She held onto traditions for over five years, but at 17, in the face of the return of the Maelstrom and the extinction of her people, was seduced by an infernal lord through his genteel servant, the current Lord Smyrgway-Vastia, and made the compact to descend the empire into infernalism. She died of wasting disease and madness, barely into her 30’s, after having given birth to her fourth infernal child.
- Marcus II, the Horned Emperor, First Emperor of the 9. Ruled starting at 17 for 50 years, further cementing the infernal corruption and expanding the Military. Founded New Vigilance as a colony, prompting the Fourth Exodus of the Avernian people, and established many of the surrounding plantations.
- Argus IX, the Builder. Expanded New Vigilance to a city, founded Industrious and Diamond Erie. Under his direction, drove the first spikes for the Imperial Rail line. Ruled for the past 30 years, held the oath of allegiance of Vrathis, Prime Eidolon of Consciousness. Founded whole schools of scholars to study the Eidolon phenomenon, and harness it and the rifts of the world for use in his masters’ Blood War. Died in battle with fiends from a rift.
- Aria VII: Paid off her father’s guard to abandon him on the front lines of a rift battle. Took the title Dread Empress due to her ruthlessness with enemies both without and within.
- Aria VIII, The Bright, The Steel Empress, Eidolon of Peace. Tiefling daughter of Aria, the infernal bloodline was weaker in her, as she took after her father, a handsome but overly scrupulous human captain in the army. She secretly formented a rebellion against her mother’s infernal reign, eventually leading to its downfall and her succession during the Second Eidolon War. Initially intending to restore the worship of her people’s ancestral gods, after a visit from Klyntar the Gatekeeper, she instead sought apotheosis for herself on behalf of the Empire. She now permanently resides in the Imperial Cathedral of New Vigilance, both an immortal empress and the empire’s exclusive patron deity, a benevolent overlord bent on protecting both her home of Quinternia and her people’s place in it.
Before the purges of the Second Eidolon War, two powerful devils ruled the empire from Avernus in the name of Zariel; one seduced and interacted with the nobility, and was the progenitor of the infernal half of the imperial line, while the other was commander of their armies.
Grand Vizier Sinrannoth, Keeper of the Rolls, Rake of Avernus
Grand General Jagdromoth, The Sledge of Avernus
Oathsworn Military
Her Imperial Highness’s military gains its dominance from three pillars: superior technology, a large navy of both the sea and sky, and mandatory military service from a devoted population.
- The Oathsworn Legions: The military might of the Bright Empire includes both the Army, along with their legendary scout sniper corps, and the Navy, which branches into both the Sea Command and Air Command, All capable citizens of the Empire must serve for at least five years, with exceptions made for the disabled and those of special talents that might be applied elsewhere. The military and its veterans receive great honors throughout most of the empire.
- General Marcus Arminus: Human general of the Army and its scout sniper corps of long Oathsworn lineage, limited in his early career due a lack of infernalism, now loyal military secretary to the Bright Empress. It is whispered the Bright Empress herself sustains her long-time confidant well into old age with her power, so that he might continue to serve. A human well over a hundred years old, though he appears as a hale sixty.
- General Faustus Sorio, House Smyrgway Vastia (Purged): In charge of army, infantry, and marines, including scout sniper corps. Second cousin to the Empress. Noble tiefling infernalist recently appointed over the old general Marcus Arminus, whom was forced into retirement. Captured by his second officer when he attempted to order his forces to back the infernalist regime, he was the first to be executed at the order of the Bright Empress, beheaded personally by her trusted Warforged officer Bastion.
- Sea Admiral Titinia Vedrix: In charge of seagoing fleet, which includes dozens of cruisers and twice as many small steam destroyers. Despite a great-aunt that was purged during the Second Eidolon war, she remains loyal to the Empress.
- Sky Admiral Spuria Dominica: With the rise of the Bright Empress, she’s proved herself a capable bureaucrat able to understand the new magi-technological sciences underpinning the vessels under her command.
Peoples of the Empire:
- Humans & Tieflings: Most citizens of the Bright Empire hail from the Oathsworn, the martial last remnant of a forgotten human empire long wiped out worlds and ages ago. In addition, others may be descended from the noble houses, a faction traditionally at odds with the Oathsworn military in their distant past. Due to several generations of infernalism on Quinternia, many have infernal blood, especially those tracing their lineage back to their noble houses, though nearly all of the open infernalists died in the Bright Empress’s purge.
- Kodanians: Little Kodania still persists in New Vigilance, their distinct culture, food, and dress having survived all four Exiles. Their cuisine, which features a variety of stir-fried seafood and spicy noodles, is a favorite of the Imperial line, as well as visitors from other lands. As such, they remain relatively distinct as a people so long as they participate in the military and gave lip service to the Empress.
- Craggen: Once the Oathsworn’s ancestral enemies, most of the hobgoblin-decended Craggen left New Vigilance to settle in a remote vassal state far to the north of the Empire’s lands. Some still live in the Empire, or at least travel there to trade periodically.
- Red Dragons: A clutch of red dragons that originally served the Craggen, then later the Dread Empire, still resides in the mountains a few days’ travel from the Bright Empire. Now mostly independent, the empire still pays them a modest annual tribute to maintain a truce, with the possibility they might negotiate a military alliance in the future.
- The Imperial Court: Nobles, bureaucrats, merchants, and administrators, many of whom can trace their ancestral line to the Southern Baronies of the forgotten floating sky continent of Zhia, and a few that trace their line to the Northern military families. Most are human, but many joined the vogue of incorporating infernal blood for several generations. The Imperial Line traces several cousins to house Castica, though several generations of House Smyrgway-Vastia rose to ascendancy and were the most prominent prior to the Purge, as it was one of their own that introduced Aria the Young to her infernal consort. House Lumeria was the most reluctant to enter into infernalism.
- Castica: The oldest and most prevalent within the Imperial Line since before the Great Transportation, but falling out of favor within the past few generations. Current head: Lady Amphera Castica, Aunt to the Imperial Seat. Two-thirds of their adults were purged, leaving the current scion Vel Suscellius, a young second cousin to the Bright Empress, nominally in charge.
- Smyrgway-Vastia: The originators of the Church of Zariel and Imperial Infernalism, and more recently the most influential house in the Empire. Ruled by Lord Frayzh Smyrgway-Vastia, Grand-Uncle to the Imperial Seat. The entire house was purged, with the few cousins found to have no corruption adopted into other houses or given new names with commissions in the military.
- House Estonia: A minor house but still influential, they’ved focused on establishing the fishing and sea navy industries in the Empire, though they know all too well their control may be taken away on the whim of the Dread Empress. Their current head: Baron Gallus Estonia, is a large but virile man whose father was the first of the nobility to support the Bright Empress, and now enjoys a favored seat on her council. Only a few of the elders needed purging.
- House Lumeria: Holds concerns primarily in agriculture, was the most resistant to Infernalism over the years. While the worship of Zariel is nominally optional, in practice, their reluctance to commit will only be tolerated for so long before they’re wiped out. Baron Primus Culio Lumeria, is a large but spry man and renowned duelist despite his bulk. Most members of House Lumeria that were purged were in-laws and their scions from Smyrgway-Vastia.
- The Old Cults: Cults to Bahamut, Moradin, Erathis, and Kord still persisted up until the Bright Empress’s apotheosis , though those gods held no sway on this world until recently, albeit briefly. The Bright Empress herself is said to have begun exploring the worship of Bahamut after her earlier, non-infernal ancestors, as well as the Quinternian faith of Ahasitari, until her shift to seeking her own apotheosis.
- The Dwarven Clans: The dwarves of the Tol Thost have risen to prominence, siding with the Empire in all things, and taking over administration of the Empress’s manufacturing divisions, while the Grumnyr supply training and might to the infantry. Clan Anvilmar still has a presence, though they had lost favor of the Empire, while the Mitharim were wiped out in a purge fifty years ago.
- GIPTA: Gnomes of the GIPTA persist, though they are not granted any power. The most talented continue to find valued work in R&D and manufacturing of the Imperial navy.
Culture:
Ballads that commemorate how the various rulers lived and died, particularly the Bright empress
Songs praising the military, as well as ballads about all the hardships their society has survived, and more recently about the Second Eidolon War and the Bright Empress’s role in it.
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Imperial Propaganda:
The Empire survives
The Bright Empress cares for us all.
Honor in Service
Are you worthy of service?
Every contribution matters: (icons of foundries, fisherman, wheat, legions, hellish worship, a collared and robed eidolon closing the portal)
Imperial Salute: One hand in a fist over their heart
New Vigilance
The capital of the Bright Empire sits in a large sheltered coe on the west coast of the continent, a steam-powered city sitting on a rocky ledge overlooking the western seas. A magi-technological lightning rail system connects New Vigilance to the other cities, plantations, and mines further up in the mountains.
Places in New Vigilance:
- Lightning Rail Stations: North Falls station, Foundryfire station, Foundation Station (Palace Dungeons)
- Ironspire Cathedral: Imperial Palace, seat of the Bright Empress, and, until recently, home to a major rift to Avernus.
- Iron Cliffs: Home of Penitent’s Row, many of whom were noble infernalist tieflings that were purged. Many of the houses here have more recently been awarded to loyalists with the military.
- Northgate: A quarter of the city was reduced to rubble during the Second Eidolon war in a false flag operation by the former Dread Empress to eradicate a large community of old military veterans that hadn’t adopted infernalism.. More recently, the community has been rebuilt around a large military cemetery and honor chapel dedicated to not only the Bright Empress, but also the other deities of the Quinternian pantheon, albeit in a secondary capacity.
- Foundryfire: The smelting and smithing district, Foundryfire also contains shipyards, railyards, and a host of manufactories churning out alloys and weapons for the Bright Empire.
- North Falls: Wealthy families, old noble houses, and high-ranking officers make their homes here. Of particular note are the Old Avernia Botanical Gardens, which hold specimens of plants native to the world of Zhia before it fell to the abyss.
- East Falls: Artisans, merchants, and mid-ranking officers all live here. Home to Imperial Academy, Arcane Auxiliary Headquarters, and the People’s Cathedral, recently torn down to make way for a new one.
- South Falls: Artisans, industrial management, and lower-middle-class workers.
- Hollowshore: Dockworkers, civilians, fishermen, foundry workers, lower classes, Little Kodania.
- Admiral’s Launch: Military Quarter, includes garrisons, barracks, training yards, firing ranges, and a myriad of sporting facilities, including the Aria’s Arena and the Exodus Gates, a monument to the four exoduses of the Oathsworn: The Rising Gate, The Marching Gate, The Falling Gate, and the Sailing Gate
- Imperial History Museum: Its various wings each dedicate themselves to periods of Imperial history. The Argus wing covers pre-Deluge history, of the seven-hundred year reign of Vigilance on the abyssal continent of Zhia; samples include old Imperial insignia and armor, now-defunct lodestone, models of old airships, and the Imperial line. The Marcus wing details the flight from Zhia and the struggle to survive as their City Vergence slowly became corrupted by Abyssal influence, then eventually their fall into infernalism and flight across the ocean to found New Vigilance. The Aria wing tells of the dark times of infernalism, refusing to shy away from them. Finally, the Bright wing focuses on the life and ascension of the Bright Empress, starting with her birth shortly before the Second Eidolon war, and continuing to present day.
Other Places in the Empire
Empress’s Gate: The first stop along the rail system just outside of New Vigilance, a small town surrounded by miles and miles of farmland and plantations.
Arrozia: The central hub for rice plantations in swampy areas nearer New Vigilance.
Stormwheat: Plantations of wheat supplanted from Zhia surround a breadbasket town, further inland along the rail, just a few dozen miles before the foothills start..
Industrious: A fishing, quarrying, and mining town in mountains a few days up the rail from New Vigilance. The second-largest city in the Empire.
Neighborhoods of Industrious:
Harbor Isles: Central Islands
- Lighthouse: Bright white arc lights flash out over the harbor day and night.
- Ship Quays: Many fishing boats, the larger of which are steam-driven, with some naval vessels. Ships further inland are fishing boats under construction.
- Barracks: Most mundane soldiers stay here when in town.
- Mercantile Row: A huge open air market, combines fresh catch of the day with trade goods, services, and produce from the farms surrounding it.
- Fisherman’s Row: Farmers, fishermen, & dock workers all live over here. One nice building is the iron cathedral to Zariel, which looks poorly attended but recruits young adults to serve in Military.
- Retirees Row: Veterans and families of active duty military often retire here, especially those that wish for a quieter life away from the bustle of New Vigilance. Many of the houses look brand new, as any individual successfully serving ten years in the military may opt to retire to a house built specifically for them and their family here in these neighborhoods.
Diamond Aerie: A military installation and mine in the mountains close to Industrious, source of high-quality gemstones, and final stop of the Lightning Rail.