Rulership of the Eidru Empire

The Series Emerald Dreams in an Azure-Stained Reality begins in The Eidru Empire, or "The Profane Empire," as its neighbors often refer to it. The Eidru Empire was born of a loose confederation of disparate city-states. The venerable Megantani house, with a dynasty spanning over 800 years (1600 Earth years), transformed it from a league of states with mutual interests and short-lived kingdoms, passed from family to family, into a true empire.

Previous Megantani Rulers:

1 Malediction Megantani

Malediction, The Lion of Shadowmirre, rose up with noble Parents from the previous Wegrangian Dynasty centered in Shadowmirre and the Flegrant Dynasty in Sanctville. As a powerful caller of creatures from both the Hellish Realm of Eternal Peril and the Heavenly Realm of Peace and Healing Rest, he rose through the ranks within the Church of the Callers as an arcane warrior who fought and conquered in battle, utilizing the creatures he called forth to bolster his power.

He renamed himself and his line the Megantani line when he was coronated in 902 after building his military following and taking control of city after city. During the process of conquering his Empire, Malediction married Abionne Aleri, who gave birth to eight children - four girls and four boys - who grew to have 44 grandchildren.

His father worshiped Dretrix, the Mother of Heroes, and named him in honor of her weapon, a relic that was then in the possession of the Flegrant dynasty. In an attempt to preserve the Empire he was carving out, Malediction designated their numerous diverging extended family lines as the official lesser imperial lineage.

Aleris from Brentonato

Vernas from Sanctville

Handos from Hesperia

Altens from Hampstead

These four great families claim varying degrees of relation to the Royal family. Other noble families of high rank all marry into the lesser imperial lineage. An unwritten rule was immediately established that the ruling Megantani house, which has grown exceptionally large in this way, would only marry from the lesser Imperial lineage. This has helped them retain their lineage and their hold on the throne while assisting in maintaining their mental and physical health.

Malediction spent most of his life conquering the Homeland and uniting the disparate city-states that now form the main settlements of the Homeland: Shadowmirre, Sanctville, Brentonato, Hampstead, and Hesperia, along with the farming and mountain communities in between. This left him only 5 years (10 earth years) to rule once crowned leader of the United Eidru Empire.

2 Abionne Genevieve I

As the wife of Malediction, Abionne was the first co-ruler, but by becoming Queen in her own right when she was crowned in 907, she set a precedent for future Female rulership in the Eidru Empire. The daughter of former potentate of Brentonato and head of Aleri House, Brayton Aleri. Abionne took over after her husband died, only five years after solidifying the shape of the Eidru homeland.

While Malediction is remembered as a skilled warrior but a poor statesman, Abionne is known for bringing the Empire around to a strong, steady position. Her accomplishments include uniting the Elven enclave of Didian and the diverse state of Tranquilis with the Empire through the skilled art of diplomacy. She ruled for a peaceful 58 (116 earth) years, marrying again to Franklin Alten before abdicating the throne to her son, Valor, and giving birth to two more daughters with him.

3 Valor Lucious

The son of Malediction and Queen Abionne I, Crowned in 965 after his mother abdicated in favor of new blood, brought the remainder of the Tranquil forest, the Dwarves, and Vorea into the Empire with a combination of tactics learned from his mother and exercising the Armies his parents bequeathed him.

During his march through the Tranquil Forest, he married Lusrith Marina Alten, and they had six royal children: four boys and two girls, who went on to have 25 grandchildren. Valor ruled for 40 years before falling to a void dragon, slaying it as it attacked the Homeland, but tragically falling through the great void gash before it could be sealed by the crowd of mages gathered.

The gorge of Valor, near Hampstead, gouged out by the Dragon's final blow against him, is left as a remnant of that fight. A massive tract of land was carved out and sent to The Entropic Realm of Starless Void and Formless Vacuum. Valor Luscious' final resting place. The position of Arcantando was created and assigned to the brave Mages who fought at Valor's side by his successor.

4 Tempestuous Albert

The First Son of King Valor and Queen Lusrith, Marina Alten, Tempestuous Albert, was crowned in 1005 after his father died in battle against the Void Dragon. Following the King's death, the Queen was offered the crown out of tradition, but declined it in her grief. Despite his name, he became known for a peaceful and stable rule after closing all ongoing conflicts. Characterized by happy citizens and even happier Nobility.

A keystone initiative was absorbing the Gnomes of Spanner's Toss, a band of Gnomish clans that had been traded with and hired for engineering projects as a reward for their loyalty and hard work. Ambersmire, like Vorea before it, was added for its farming resources and offered increased trade and protection in return. Tempestuous married Darline Luminance Alten and had seven children with her: four girls and three boys, who grew into 34 grandchildren.

Tempestuous ruled for 92 (184 earth) years, but before the end of his reign, he made the unprecedented decision to institute the Imperial Cannon: the Council by which the next ruler would be chosen in perpetuity. The new ruler of the Eidru Empire is always selected from the Imperial Megantani line by a vote of confidence when the previous ruler either dies or abdicates the throne in favor of new leadership.

Each Megantani over the age of 9 gets one vote as represented by their cannon medal, and each lesser Megantani over the age of 9 gets a one-half vote represented by their half cannon medal. The law-making body and the landed Nobility are chosen by this Council, with some exceptions being handled directly by the Queen/King.

5 Ursula Felina:

The First ruler chosen via the Imperial Cannon, Ursula Felina, was crowned in 1097. She became a widely beloved queen who ruled over a notable time of peace and prosperity. She built up the economy and infrastructure using Eidru's newly acquired gnomish allies. The great seaside city of New Sanctville was constructed in Vorea. Causing Eidruians to start referring to Sanctville as Old Sanctville. She is most remembered for establishing an Imperial road system built and maintained by Gnomish engineers and instituting the position of Fabricator General. Some refer to her warmly as the Fabricator Empress.

Ursula brought the Copper Coast to the Empire through diplomacy and their culture's shared love of the arts. The three splendors have always been a primary deity in the Copper Coast. Just as it has always been exceedingly rich in certain resources, such as Copper and iron, but in need of basic staples like grain and wood. Thus connecting the Homeland with those past the Shadow Caste Mountains and maintaining all previously conquered lands for 108 (216 earth)years. During her illustrious rule, Ursula married Maximus Hando and bore 7 children, six girls and one boy, leading to 25 grandchildren. Remarrying to Gregor Verna after his death, but bearing no more children.

6 Banden Crampmire

Banden Crampmire, already married to Regina Aleri, had only three royal children: two girls and one boy across his reign beginning in 1205. The coronation was quickly followed by hostile actions, setting off a war with the Reophate Empire known as the Vicious Clashing, which marked the beginning of another era of violent expansion and war. Begun with naval forces in the Cochlear Sea, Vorea moved into the Dobryan hills, partially in response to the Ion state coming online. This forced the independent nations of Plinthon and Vrator, both of which had long been holding out, to provisionally join.

The knights and cavalry of Vrator were instrumental in the defense of the Eidruian Empire during that war and the conflicts to come. Vorea was all but destroyed in the battling, and New Sanctville was completely leveled. Tens of thousands were lost over the course of the conflict. The Copper Coast was utilized for the naval support and resources. The Voxpoint Stronghold was ordered to be built to secure copper extraction.

He witnessed the birth of one of his seventeen grandchildren and ruled for only 20 (40 earth) years before falling in battle. The Reophate General Santiago Garcia, in a public display of retaliation for the many war crimes he ordered committed against the Reophate people, once fighting moved past the Dobryan hills onto their land, his body was stolen from the battlefield and desecrated. That has become a national holiday in Reophate, known as Victory Day, held on the twenty-second of Emnion (month 23 of 24 months). Effigies are still burned, torn apart, and papier-mache Banden Megantanis are created and filled with treats for children to destroy and dance around.

7 Denholm Merrick

The war, by no means over, forced an emergency meeting of the Cannon to vote, bringing Denholm Merrick to the crown in 1225 while the Empire was in massive turmoil. Rumor had surfaced that the Reophate Empire was trying to instigate a succession crisis in the confusion of war by raising up an heir from the ended Flegrant Dynasty of what had become Old Sanctville and the Cochlear Coast nobility. This prompted Denholm to institute a recall of historical records from before the Megantani dynasty to make any such endeavor impossible. This stomped out ideas or the possibility of rebellion, as well as slowing the growth of the Noble class.

To accomplish this endeavor, he created and chartered the Order of the Knights of the Timeline. Brought Udotis Commonwealth in and set to the reconstruction and restructuring in New Vorea. He ruled 90 (180 Earth) years before falling ill with a mysterious illness for which no cure could be discovered. Many still believe Fractous' vizier Razeel Drentwel must have given him some sort of incurable disease to hasten his takeover. Married Mirand Aleri had 10 (6 girls and 4 boys) Children (49 grandchildren) 90 years 16/6

8 Fractious Zane:

Fractious, the boy king was crowned in 1315 and came to the throne in a questionable vote at the age of 6 (12 earth) years old. He didn't accomplish this feat all on his own, led by a decadent vizier Razeel Drentwel, on a loophole in the Cannon law that neglected to outline an age for the elected Monarch; he was voted in almost unanimously.

Fractious, as one would expect of a youth, let his elders do most of the actual governance, and took only the "fun" parts of being King. The mismanagement and rampant corruption led to the Empire falling into shambles and a plague sweeping the Empire supposedly from off the continent. The mysterious disease, not unlike the one that killed Denholm, decimated the population, inspiring Ambersmire to cede in a violent revolution, turning to entirely isolationist self-sufficiency. This, unfortunately, could not save them. They quickly fell to poverty, plague, and general failure. Only limping along as an agrarian society with a paranoid dictator paying fractured service to Zolenta: the God of Activism, Revolution, and Rebuilding.

Taxes were squandered, food and supplies began to run low, and citizens were beginning to riot. Until Enigmatic, also young at only 13(26 earth years), deposed Fractous from within to avoid the Empire falling to ruin. He gathered support quietly and held a secret Cannon vote before moving in on Fractous and Razeel at the Palace with Soldiers now Loyal to him. At the end of his five-year rule, Fractous was still unmarried, with no legitimate children.

9 Enigmatic Leodine:

Crowned after a bloodless coup in 1320, Enigmatic had plenty of work ahead of him. After putting to rest the calamities Fractous had caused, Enegmatic is known for instituting legal reforms such as adding the same age barrier of nine years to rule as the Cannon, and instituting levels of empire membership. This addition would make it more difficult and less likely that Imperial conquests would recede. Enigmatic wasn't just a dedicated statesman and diplomat; he was also a powerful caster of Arcane magic.

Instead of using that power to become a great warrior, he used his magic for social influence. Having the foresight to envision more wars over the limited space on the landmass, he decided to try expanding to other continents. The explorers he sent out across the airsea brought back new grand discoveries and made alliances with peculiar people such as the Crocodilians and Jackle Folk of the distant Empire of Dust. Emissaries of these far-off lands still reside in Zabridia.

Between his magical abilities and the team of advisors he assembled, Enigmatic ruled an impressive 145 (290 Earth) years, with life-prolonging serums and spells. He married Francesca Aleri sometime into his reign, and they had 9 children, five boys, and four girls, over the course of 60 years, producing 43 grandchildren. After Francesca's death, he married again, to Serafina Hando, who had five more children: three girls and two boys. Serafina made her own mark by opening the Abionne Academy Girls' school. Dedicating it to the first queen Abion.

10 Jezebel Auriel:

Not ready to give up their time of relative peace, the Imperial Cannon crowned Jezebel in 1465, relatively late in life, after touring the Empire and making a study of the arts. One of Denholm's grandchildren, Jezebel, was born on Franzapangian, a holiday partially celebrated in her honor in the Eidru empire. She was already married to Giovani Aleri with 2 children, one boy and one girl, when she took the throne.

Although short-reigning, she made a significant impact on the arts and Eidruian culture at large. A Bardic caster and patron of the arts, she single-handedly brought practicing the arts back into fashion for the Nobility and made "Eidruian Dance" (ballet) the Official Imperial dance of the Empire. She may not have invented Eidruian Dance, but once declared the official artistic dance of the Empire, she had the steps codified by the masters of the time.

The fine arts had fallen out of fashion during the past few rulers in favor of martial or arcane arts. This reinvigoration brought a renaissance of Eidruian Art, allowing all forms of art and expression to flourish. She opened the SPAA and Old Sanctville's Academy of Fine Arts before abdicating as tensions rose with Reophate's Ion State and disappeared. She ruled for only 12 years, but unlike other short-spanned rulers, she is beloved and remembered for her accomplishments.

11 Gueison William:

Gueison was crowned in 1477 after Jezebel abdicated in the face of rising tensions with Reophate. Already having secured the position of highest general, which gave him the full backing of the Eidruian military. First, he created the Enforcers to keep control of the people while he sent troops out to get a foothold in Dustrica. Starting in Bijan, but predictably, the campaign was put on hold to deal with the Ion State Massacre in 1552. Electric hell rained down on Plinthon and the Dobryan Hills. Guieson pushed them back and took the hills to mount an Effective defense. Driving the Dobryan hill people deeper underground. Establishing an anti-electricity border spanning the watch towers across the entirety of the hills.

The already teetering Ambersmire Confederacy fell into complete collapse after damage from stray electric attacks hit key infrastructure. The upheaval only came to light in 1554. Thousands died of starvation and were slaughtered at the hands of the Ambersmirian military before the system fully collapsed, and what peasantry was left escaped and was consumed by Vrator and Plinthon by 1558. After the war with Reophate was settled, attention was returned to Dustrica. The army and navy made their rounds, with the King himself taking a seat on a zabd rider to conquer the red land at the head of the military himself.

There are thousands of paintings and sculptures of King Gueison. Due to his name, many artists depict him as Gueises, the Father of humanity, ruling with wisdom and justice over the Eidru people. It was his expansion that established the first floor in Harmonian Isle. Gueison married the famously beautiful Violet Verna in the course of his 125-year reign (250 earth years), and they had six children: three girls and three boys, blossoming into 40 grandchildren. After her passing, he married again, to Dionne Hando. Producing four children, two girls and two boys, adding twenty-six more grandchildren.

12 Killoran Cavendish

After the long and successful, but bloody, reign of Gueison, the people were ready to enjoy the spoils they had won in war, and crowned Killoran in 1602. He took his charge of raising spirits and spending the Empire's money seriously. Decadence was the theme of Killoran's rule, which quickly became apparent. Exploiting the Dustrican landmass for everything it could produce was the first order of business. Second order, parties, as many and varied as possible.

Killoran is best known for overspending and allowing the nobles to enact their own initiatives for good or mainly ill. Disliking the overseeing of civic matters, he hired and instituted new bureaucratic institutions to do the work for him. This also led to giving Nobles more unfettered oversight in their territories. Thus began the Atrocities in the Copper Coast, and Grimsby Megantani's build-up of power in expectation of becoming the next King.

Killoran also rapidly expanded the Eidru presence in Harmonian Isle, which drained the Empire's coffers for little payback as far as off-continent traffic, due to Eidru's lack of technological advancement. This strategy started drawing the Nobility's ire. When he didn't lift the restrictions on high technologies out of fear of a peasant uprising, the Nobility withdrew their support completely. After half a generation of Nobles running rampant, unrest started to brew.

Rumors still abound that Killoran was removed from the throne, though he famously and willingly abdicated after a respectable 80 (160 earth)years on the throne. Killoran married the politically savvy Jett Alten early in life, and together they had eight children, four girls and four boys, growing to 38 grandchildren so far. That abdication event took place just over twenty years ago, to much rejoicing from the common folk and Nobility alike.

Abionne Gueison was a great general, conquering new resource-rich land for the Empire in the same vein as her great-grandfather, King Gueison. Grimsby Megantani, who had risen to Arch Duke over the Copper Coast, ruling with an iron fist, quietly set the stage for the coup that took place in 1702, simultaneously with the Unpleasantness. Both were in contention to be the next and latest ruler. Only one could take the throne to Grimsby's lament.

Current Ruler of the Eidruian Empire

13 Abionne Gueison II

Abionne Gueison, the victor of the Southern Tors, was crowned in 1682 after Killoran abdicated. Her parents were Allegra Megantani (Guison's granddaughter) and Alfiani Aleri, making her Guison's great-granddaughter and keeping the Aleri house at the top of the lesser imperial families. Abionne graduated from the Defenders Academy at age 10 (20 Earth years). She was sent to a rather remote post where she quickly advanced and conquered what is now known as Dretrexial. A large mountainous island, completely colonized for resource extraction, with few mountain tribes now mostly employed in mining concerns.

The Imperial Cannon nominated her by a slim margin against Grimsby. She immediately brought in advisors to restructure taxes, start new recruitment efforts for all branches of the military, and the Enforcers. reduce the number of public feasts and holidays, while allowing some to be taken up by their respective Temples at cost.

The Unpleasantness of 1702 and the fall of the region formerly known as The Copper Coast to a level 3 member nation threatens to become an overbearing stain on her so far well-managed rule. Their relatively short duration and Devil's Coast's ability to maintain order leave room for negotiations and a road to redemption for these to turn from black marks to gold stars.

Fifty (100 earth) years old, unmarried, and childless, Abionne has dealt with a constant stream of suggestions and suitors; vocal opponents insist she should marry for the good of the family. While the queen insists that the survival of the monarchy has been secured by the nomination process. The preservation of the line is taken care of, which has set her free to rule. Abionne has stated she intends to wait to marry and start her own family until her rule has come to a close. Leaving some chomping at the bit waiting for the day she abdicates.

Future Prospective Rulers

Factions have already started forming. Front runners include Chaucer, the Queen's nephew, and a candidate very similar to her majesty. Having graduated from the Defenders Academy, he saw action defending the Palace during the Unplesantness, and now awaits a new assignment. Frankel, a current student at Shadowmirre Law, has crept up the rankings as the most diplomatic prospect. And the vivacious Ecstacy has gathered a gaggle of admirers as a descendant and reflection of the beloved queen Jezebel.