Established by the first emperor, Goldwin Ulrisin the Bold, the Ulrisin Empire had stood for a proud 1,545 years. Its leadership falls to the family lineage of Ulrisin blood that has carried on for generations now. There have been many generations of leaders all carrying noble and royal blood, typically being of human descent.
One of the biggest characteristics of the early empire was its conquest and assimilation of other cities, cultures, and people into it. The Empire grew because of Emperor Goldwin, whose charisma and strategic mind brought together countless people. It also brought countless people into conflicts, arguments, and borderline war. Goldwin was an idealist and viewed a harmonious Empire full of a variety of cultures and walks of life as strong. So he took any territory he felt he wanted, and forced those within to pledge loyalty with the promise they would be able to keep their culture and lifestyle. Shockingly, Goldwin kept this promise. Ulrisin stood as a diverse Empire of culture and vibrant people.
It was never without its struggles, as infighting was common. Classes ended up slowly separating themselves more and more as time went on. With every new ruler, the noble class gained more influence and power.
At the time of the Civil War, the Empire was divided between 7 States governed by themselves under the rule of the Emperor. Each state had different leaders or ways to lead. Some had a governor noble and their family, some had elected officials, and some were governed by religion. Whatever the case, they all answered to the Emperor and their rule.
The denizens of the sea just off the coast of the Capital City, still live under the rule of the Emperor. The three Merfolk territories are divided vertically by depth, with the Sunlight Reefs being the closest to the coast. They only operate semi-independently due to their underwater nature, but still are loyal to the Empire.
The Sunshine Reef, The Twilight Currents, and the Midnight Caves. Each territory is run by a matriarch, who is a part of their respective royal family and endorsed by the current Emperor. They were forced to participate in the Civil War, each pledging loyalty to the royal heir, the current emperor's son at the time. Once the Empire fell, the Merfolk kingdoms attempted to withdraw in on themselves as the waters became overrun with the corruption from the Heart of War. Those who manage to slip out hope to find greater chances of survival on land, to little avail.
The world outside doesn't pertain to our story, as the Empire has been cut off from the rest of the world. The closest civilization is The Kingdom of Elria, which the Empire has had strained relations with in the past. All characters made will be from the Ulrisin Empire, this is just for lore's sake.
The Empire could not last forever, unfortunately. As civil unrest grew by the year, whispers of the last Emperor’s declining health spread throughout the land. Upon the death of Emperor Hamelin Urlisin, his son, Prince Eckhart Ulrisin III, was set to take the crown. That was, until a scandal rose among the noble crowd and began the downhill spiral that lead to the Empire’s destruction.
It was Highsun the 17th, 1543, Power and Corruption are known for their ability to sway the minds and hearts of all of mankind in many cultures. As they say, absolute power corrupts absolutely. The same can be said for the Ulrisin Empire, as their distribution of power had become more uneven by the year. The noble class, filled with the most wealthy and influential people in the Empire, wormed their way into the court and leveraged their assets to slowly gain support from the royal family to push legislature that would benefit them. This grab for power would take a rather drastic turn before Prince Eckhart’s coronation was due.
Rumor and gossip spread fast that the Paupard noble family was housing a boy who claimed to be a bastard child of the late Emperor. His name was Eardwin, and shortly after these rumors arose he came out publicly to announce his right to the throne and the Ulrisin name. The Paupard family was careful and tactical with their gossip spread, always knowing who to tell and what to say. They were incredibly influential, often presiding directly in the royal family’s court. Eardwin seemingly came out of nowhere with the typical bastard story, despite looking nothing like the former Emperor.
People were sent into a frenzy, the story being told across the Empire within weeks of it coming out. The other noble families came to support Eardwin’s side, pressuring Eckhart and the royal family to acknowledge his birthright. This was when the noble class’ true colors started to show, as Eckhart felt there was nobody to trust other than his own family, which deep down he knew Eardwin was not. If he denounced Eardwin’s claims, however, the noble class would find some way to push him from the throne anyway. So he began trying to stall them, to find answers and proof but alas, it was useless.
During this time of uncertainty, a boy in a small town in Mamar was struck with a dilemma. Ezra Healwick, a commoner boy raised by his single mother, knew deep down who he really was. His mother worked at the palace as a maid for a very long time, but when she became pregnant with him she fled the palace and settled. With her dying breath, as she lay cold and sick from poverty, she told Ezra of his real origins- that he was the true heir to the Ulrisian throne. Ezra knew then that there needed to be change. And the only way to do so was to fight back against the oppression from the upper classes.
He stood in front of his town and rallied the masses, preaching change for the Empire and justice for their people. The Mamari Commonwealth leaders were against this uprising, warning him to back down while he still could, but the people behind him only amplified his voice until the word of a true heir reached back to the Capital.
Commoner’s unrest turned to protests, and protests turned to riots as the noble class pushed back against their demands. The nobles, predominantly the Paupard family, openly denounced and humiliated Ezra in hopes of turning his own people against him. They hired knights and mercenaries and created Constructs to act as a wall between them and the commoners. Every time a fight broke out, blood was shed on the streets of the Empire.
States took sides, and leaders had to choose between being Loyal to the royal family, Loyal to the wealthy, or Loyal to the People. Manipulation, bribes, fear, violence, and anger all ran through the blood of the Ulrisian people. Some entire states had been taken over as commoner safe havens, pushing out any hint of royal or noble influence.
Pressure built on the back of Prince Eckhart, who felt a metaphorical sword at his throat from every angle. Either way he swung he knew a coup was likely soon after it. If he rose to the throne, the nobles and commoners would cut him down before his first week as Emperor. If Ezra rose, the nobles would cut them both down. And if Eardwin rose? The commoners would destroy every noble that stood by sheer force of will.
His family urged him to make a move, to assert his given right as royalty. To do anything. And so, on Drelt the 11th, 1545, Prince Eckhart officially declared the Ulrisin Empire at war with itself.
History, unfortunately, gets very muddy from this point onward. We do know that each of the three sides raised their own militias, gaining territory by any means necessary and taking over each state. Every win meant another loss. The royals had strength in their elite soldiers and military, including elite mages that were funded by the royal family themselves. The nobles put their wealth into Constructs, knights, well-trained soldiers, and mercenaries. And the commoners had sheer numbers, with unconventional tactics and nothing left to lose. The war itself carried on for roughly 20 years.
Many battles were fought, some destroying villages and others scarring battlefields for years. And who knows how many battles it would have taken before any side became victorious. The Last Battle refers to the final conflict between all three sides outside the capital state. When the corruption and bloodlust grew too much the Empire was thrown into darkness. Nobody knows how it truly happened that day, all that is known is that the Civil War had come to an abrupt end. The consequences of their actions had come to claim them all. And it came in the form of a creature referred to simply as
New Dawn's lore is entirely fictional. Any reference or similarity to real-life people, places, or events are purely coincidental. This is not meant to mimic real-life timelines or events.
