Ailhaotnůṙ

Ailhaotnůṙ is a flat world of unknown (potentially infinite) extent, and (quite obviously) cannot have the same physical properties as Earth and the real universe. See World Map for more geographical information.

Creation Myth

Before time itself, there was only an infinite, formless, static Expanse. In this expanse, a spirit arose, an infinite and eternal consciousness, named Ailistif. Ailistif has few traits we mere mortals can comprehend, but among them is the capacity for boredom. The Expanse is nothing, and no thought can stem from it.

Ailistif determined that Form was needed to stimulate thought, and created perfection. Ail created from the formless nothing the World Seed, a diamond that contained within it the form of an entire world. For uncounted aeons, the great emerald forest Nacis crystallized around it, the pinnacle of geometric order and beauty. Yet, Nacis was as static as the Expanse itself, and Ailistif grew bored of it as well.

Ailistif sealed the borders of Nacis from the static Expanse, and created twelve Aspects to expand the world in a way that could not be predicted. Only this could entertain Ailistif for an eternity.

Calendar and Cosmology

See Calendar

Regions and Points of Interest

Nacis

The site of the World Seed, and the center of the universe. Nacis is a great and perfect forest of emerald and glass, and within its borders nothing changes. At the very center is the World Seed itself, a veritable mountain of pure diamond, the static core on which the entire world is anchored.

Kormar

The glorious and ancient Capitol of The Empire is a thriving port city, just as glorious as when it was built, or so it seems. The fringe wars are rarely spoken of in polite company, but after dark, or all day on the docks, rumors are whispered, and the security of The Empire is in doubt. Many realize that, when The Empire does fall, it will fall hard, and the more forward-thinking of the citizenry make plans for emigration.

Politically, Kormar is divided into four wards, the Temple District, and the Central Commons, the seat of government. The first ward most people encounter is the Docks, which actually covers much more than just the docks themselves, but is rather everything outside the walls. Inside the walls are the High Ward, the Middle Ward, and the Low Ward, where the High Ward is closest to the Temple District, containing housing for the government and Priests, the Middle Ward surrounds the Central Commons, mostly the haunt of merchants and doctors, and the Low Ward is the area of the city farthest from the Temple District, containing those members of the lower caste, as well as the barracks.

Temple District

The Temple District is the glory of the Priesthood, a sprawling complex of muraled walls and red roofs covering over a hundred acres of land in a hexagon on the hill overlooking Kormar. It was built in ancient past, and maintained and improved over centuries. At the center is the Spire, dedicated to Ailistif, and arranged around it in two offset rings of six are the Aspect Temples. The Temple is surrounded by a wall, though it has never seen a battle and is not as impressive as the wall of the Capitol, though it is far better decorated.

The Fringes

A general name for all of the satrapies farther than a week's travel from Kormar. More broadly, the areas that are politically unstable, because the Empire cannot mobilize fast enough to effectively stifle revolts or because the native people are protesting the rule of foreigners. Several satrapies are in outright war, in fact, and the Empire might lose some of its most economically important territories.

Satrapy of Dai'ala

Three weeks away from the Capitol, Daiäla has been unstable for generations, ever since the low caste soldiers staged a coup and publicly executed their satrap for the crimes of theft of land and liberty in K1359.La. (49 cycles (162 yrs) before standard present period begins.) The Priesthood conceded to them representative rule, because the satrapy is the largest source of refined copper.

Dai'ala means approximately "Unending Peace". As it was founded in K1086.Curon, (The farthest region claimed in the second crusade) the name did prove to be fairly accurate.

Brief History of Ailhaotnůṙ

For now, this is very Koṙmaṙ-centric. I'll look this over rather extensively later as well, this is a first draft while rather very tired.

• BK200
  • Current estimation of the time a city first surpassed 5,000 citizens. The site has been named "Firsthome" in the Common Tongue and is in the territory of the modern Surihay Satrapy. Older sites exist, but the Empire has not developed radiocarbon dating and all estimates are very broad.
• Note that 1600 cycles is 5300 years.
• K0.List.1.1
  • Calendar Starts. Estimation as of K800 of the dawn of human civilization. Widely considered considered falsified now, but it's beyond changing.
  • Earlier dates are expressed with a B preceding the date, applied before the K for Koṙmaṙ.
• K250
  • First recorded habitation of the area that is now Koṙmaṙ.
• K400
  • Founding of Koṙmaṙ, under the name Salmaṙ, "Silver City".
• K500
  • First clear evidence of the operation of the Priesthood in the area of the Temple District.
• K600.Kof
  • The First Great Fire of Salmaṙ - Salmaṙ is largely rebuilt.
• K950.Sal
  • The Union of Five is formed of five city-states and nations into a loose theocratic republic. Salmaṙ, the seat of the Priesthood, is designated as the seat of the secular government.
• K1030.Kof
  • The Second Great Fire of Salmaṙ - the city is replanned, renamed, and rebuilt.
  • Salmaṙ is henceforth to be known as "Koṙmaṙ", or "The Capitol" in the common tongue.
• K1033.List - K1055.Jaf
  • The individual States in the Union expand semi-independently during this time.
• K1060.Volli
  • Taking advantage of the lao of change, the Priesthood declares that the Union of Five is to be the central core of a new Empire, now known as Salta Colra ko Fisuria. The lands claimed since K1030 are reorganized as 4 satrapies, but little power is moved from the States. In the lands claimed by --name--, a representative government is established, with a satrap elected from the high class.
• K1070.List
  • The First Crusade is launched by the Empire, first 6 conquered satrapies are formed. There are now 10.
• K1085.Fi
  • The Second Crusade is launched by the Empire.
  • Daiäla is founded in K1086.Kůṙon, along with 7 others. There are now 18.
• K1107.Sal
  • Third Crusade launched, founding 6 satrapies. There are now 24.
  • The Empire reorganizes with the inception of the Court of Lords, and political power is finally granted in limited form to the citizenry of the satrapies.
• K1138.Sul
  • Fourth Crusade launched Westward, is an utter failure due to an unusually harsh winter that cycle. Only the Satrapy of Corasal is founded.
  • the economy of the Satrapy of Calasuri (A very important cereal grain exporter) collapses due to the cost of the military effort leading to famine in many regions.
  • Expansionism declines significantly and the Empire's military is left mostly unused until the Fifth Crusade.
• Interim
  • The Empire is considered to have stagnated and declined during this era.
• K1196.Volli
  • The monarch of Losdoṙk is assassinated and the ruling family deposed by another noble family.
  • Koṙmaṙ acts quickly to secure the alliance of the new rulers, and a secession is avoided.
• K1221.Curon
  • Fifth Crusade launches, successfully founds five new satrapies in the fringes.
  • This is the first military conquest in 83 cycles (270 years). This is considered by historians to be a critical turning point and the end of the Empire's stagnant period.
  • There are now 29 satrapies in total.
• K1232.List
  • The Satrapy of --name-- does not deliver the winter tax, and the navy is dispatched. The current satrap is deposed and a new satrap is instated, drawn from the family of a High Seer.
• K1309.Sal
  • Sixth Crusade launches Southward, founds three satrapies. There are now 32 satrapies.
• K1359.La
  • Daiäla Peasant Revolt - Satrap executed and after military threat fails to quell the populace, the Priesthood cuts their losses and declares that Daiäla's satrap is to be elected from the people.
  • Note: Daiäla is a major exporter of copper metal, and is in a relatively inaccessible mountainous region, making it difficult for the military to enter.
• K1360.Ail
  • "Sympathetic" revolts in --name-- result in similar provisions from the Priesthood, however, realizing that they are setting unfortunate precedent, all further revolts are met with military action. Within two cycles, order is tentatively restored.
• K1362.Ail
  • The Seventh "Lost" Crusade is launched to the East, but nearly three quarters of the soldiers die from a mysterious and highly virulent disease.
  • The satraps in that direction are ordered to wall off their Eastern borders, and further Eastward expansion is forbidden citing the will of Rakofaṙ.
• K1408.List
  • Standard Present Period begins. This is the time period depicted by the map.
• K1412.Sal
  • Eighth Crusade launches Northward and Westward - No new satrapies conquered, this crusade is only meant to quell attempted revolutions in the fringes. The satrapy of Forlasi is significantly reduced in territory and the satrapy of Forlhay is created from the reclaimed land.
• K1425.List
  • Standard Present Period ends.